In 2007, Dr. Dugan W. Maddux conducted the first interview for the Nephrology Oral History Project with her colleague and friend, Dr. Robert Gutman. The conversation took place in Dr. Gutman’s office in Durham, North Carolina, where he had spent many years practicing nephrology, mentoring young physicians, and providing exemplary patient care. In this wide-ranging interview, Dr. Gutman reflects on his formative training in Seattle under Dr. Belding Scribner, where he developed a deep understanding of fluid and electrolyte physiology and witnessed the earliest days of chronic dialysis. His recollections span from caring for Clyde Shields, Harvey Gentry, and Rolin Hemming—the first long-term dialysis patients in Seattle—to his later involvement in the clinical, institutional, and political evolution of dialysis, including his participation in the Renal Physicians Association.
