Gretchen Worden, who devoted her entire professional career to revitalizing the Mütter Museum of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia, died August 2nd, 2004 after a brief illness. Ms. Worden relied on an encyclopedic knowledge of medical history, a tart sense of humor and a compelling television presence to forge an international reputation as a museum educator and spokeswoman for the Mütter. Her recent book about the museum became a best seller. She was a frequent guest on “The Late Show With David Letterman” and appeared in numerous science documentaries produced by the BBC. Ms. Worden, who was 57, continued to work until a few days before her death.

Ms. Worden, the daughter of a California-Texas (Cal-Tex) Oil Company geologist, was born in Shanghai, China in 1947. She graduated from Temple University with a degree in Anthropology in 1970. She joined the staff of the College’s Mütter Museum as a curatorial assistant in 1975. Ms. Worden became the museum’s curator in 1982 and its director in 1988. As the leader of the museum, she presided over a facility with unique historical and pathological collections that was little known to the public. Knowing that its long-term future depended on the museum’s acquiring a higher public profile, Ms. Worden worked tirelessly to promote it. Her efforts included numerous appearances on television and radio, offering lectures about the museum from Philadelphia to Paris and launching a popular series of museum calendars. When Ms. Worden became curator in 1982, the museum attracted several hundred visitors each year. At the time of her death, museum visitation had grown to more than 60,000 tourists annually. Ms. Worden’s ultimate goal was to have the Mütter Museum accredited by the American Association of Museums.

Commenting on Ms. Worden’s contributions to the College of Physicians, College President Arthur Asbury, M.D. noted that “The College of Physicians is deeply saddened by the loss of Gretchen Worden. She embodied the Mutter Museum both locally and nationally for three decades. She is irreplaceable”. Recalling his own experience working with Ms. Worden, the College’s Former Chief Executive Officer Mark S. Hochberg, M.D. said “Gretchen was an incandescent personality. She represented a unique combination of curatorial brilliance, superb communication skills and irresistible charm. The College of Physicians family has lost a treasured colleague and friend”. Gretchen Worden was known for her wide ranging intellectual interests. She was a past president of the Medical Museums Association, Museum Council of Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley and the Walt Whitman Association. She was a long serving member of the Board of the Friends of Independence National Historical Park.