The Noordhoff Lectureship was established in 2000 to honor the pioneering achievements of Dr. Noordhoff and his contributions to Plastic Surgery. He was among the first Plastic Surgeons in Taiwan and founded the Chang Gung Memorial Hospital Plastic Surgery Department.
After 40 years of service to the people of Taiwan, he retired in 1999 to return to the United States.

Dr. Noordhoff laid the foundations for the modern practice of Plastic Surgery in Taiwan. Among his major contributions, he not only brought Plastic Surgery to Taiwan, but also established the current residency training system. Out of his desire to help congenitally disfigured children, he donated his own money to establish the Noordhoff Craniofacial Foundation.

From these efforts, Dr. Noordhoff brought Taiwan Plastic Surgery international acclaim and set the stage for it to be a major academic contributor.
Fellows from around the world now come to Taiwan for training. Either directly or indirectly, most plastic surgeons in Taiwan have benefited from his teachings.

M. Samuel Noordhoff, M.D.

Merrill Samuel Noordhoff, Emeritus Superintendent of Chang Gung Memorial Hospitals, has devoted his professional lift to the development of medical care in Taiwan and, specifically, to the field of plastic surgery. From his roots in rural Iowa, Dr. Noordhoff came to Taiwan in 1959 as a medical missionary and spent many years at the Mackay Memorial Hospital of the Presbyterian Church of Formosa before becoming a leader at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital. As Superintendent at Mackay, he was instrumental in establishing a pastoral counseling program, a nursing college, and an educational program for staff doctors and nurses, as well as a hospital administration specialty. He pioneered many “firsts” for Taiwan, such as the first intensive-care unit, anesthesia as a welldefined specialty, burn unit, polio rehabilitation and immunization, a mobile medical unit for aboriginal people, and a telephone counseling hotline for young persons in crisis.

Dr. Noordhoff saw a need for plastic surgery, became board certified in the specialty, and devoted his further medical career to the development of plastic surgery in Taiwan. He became the first superintendent of the Chang Gung Memorial Hospitals, where he founded an internationally recognized department of plastic surgery and encouraged the training of local surgeons. In 1989, he and his wife Lucy established the Noordhoff Craniofacial Foundation which provides financial support for patients in need to surgery and medical care, as well as education and special programs for children with cleft palate.

Dr. Noordhoff’s career has been distinguished by teaching appointments, honorary memberships and scholarly publications. Special honors include his appointment as Superintendent Emeritus of Chang Gung in 1982, outstanding alumnus of both Northwestern College and Hope College, Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters of Hope College (1988), Outstanding Medical Contribution Award by the Ministry of Health Executive Yuan (1966), Order of the Brilliant Star with the Violet Cordon in 1999 (the highest government civilian award presented by the Republic of China), the Health Medal of Dirst Class award given by the Ministry of Health, ROC (1999), and honorary awards from the American Cleft Lip Palate-Craniofacial Association 2000 and from the American Society of Maxillofacial Surgery “for his leadership, his willingness to share his knowledge through teaching and his continuous commitment to the field of Maxillofacial Surgery”.

Dr. Noordhoff and his wife Lucy stated, “We came to Taiwan thinking this is what God wanted us to do with our lives. We have never regretted this and have been blessed by the people we work with and love.”