GERALD DOMINGUE is an American university professor – research scientist of basic medical and clinical sciences, painter-writer-poet—a native Louisianan; born in Lafayette, Louisiana on March 2, 1937 to Sarah Ann Prejean Domingue and Edgar Paul Domingue; reared on “l’habitation Domingue”, estate of his paternal grandparents, cotton planters in the north side of Lafayette Parish, Louisiana. Although he first developed an interest in painting and writing at the age of nine, he was educated in the medical sciences; pursued a career in university academics, medical research and clinical laboratory microbiology/immunology/infectious diseases for nearly forty years with thirty years service at Tulane University, School of Medicine and Graduate School, New Orleans, Louisiana (as professor of urology, microbiology and immunology and director of research in urology); presently professor emeritus at Tulane. After retiring from Tulane in 1997, he began fulltime careers as a painter-writer, dividing his time between New Orleans, Paris and Zurich. Since 2002, he is a resident of Zurich, Switzerland where he lives, paints and writes. Gerald Domingue is a studio painter in the beautiful Zurichberg section of the city of Zurich. His studio is conveniently located on the same level, adjacent to his apartment off of the building’s entrance foyer; situated 1705 feet above sea level overlooking the city of Zurich, the lake of Zurich and the snow covered Alps. The forest of Zurich is within 500 yards walking distance to the rear of his residence and painting studio. Zurich is definitely his muse for painting and writing. He is an abstract naturalist – expressionist, a dreamy abstractionist, sophisticated, intellectual artist who strives for expression of the flow of energy while searching for a balance with harmony and color. He has developed his own unique style which excels in depicting the dynamics of movement as three dimensional illusions, particularly as this motion relates to nature and biological life. His poetic language is rich in the splendor of imagery, the power of metaphor, and fusion of thoughts. His artistic endeavors are fueled by the triplets of the mind—emotion, volition and intellect; focusing on dreams, the mysterious worlds of the subconscious, and the beauty and order of nature.
Collections …
Gerald Domingue’s paintings are in private collections in the United States, Canada, Switzerland, France, Germany, Belgium, Colombia and Argentina; and in corporate collections in New Orleans, Zurich and Paris. Four of his oil on masonite paintings received a rating of “Excellent” by Artoteque online art competition, London, 2005-2006.
Creative Writing …
As with painting, his interest in creative writing also started as a young boy. He wrote his first poem “Bird” at age nine while a student at St. Ann Convent School, Carencro, Louisiana. This poem was published in The Sodality in 1947, publication of Mount Carmel Schools, Louisiana. In high school, he was actively involved in writing, serving in 1954 as editor-in-chief of the school’s newspaper: The Cub. During that year, he wrote a prize winning short story: “Negligence, Pride, Stubbornness: Tuberculosis Allies” and created a cartoon: “Tuberculosis Challenges You: Are you Prepared to Fight?”, both taking second place honors for high school newspapers at local, regional, state and national levels (sponsored by the National Tuberculosis Association and the National Press Club). Also in that year, an original oratory which he delivered: “Give Youth a Break” won the first place, superior award (gold medal) at district (Southwestern Louisiana Institute) and state (Louisiana State University) literary rallies for high school students. In 1955, an original oratory: “What’ll you have–Milk or Wine?” won second place (excellent, silver medal) at district and first place awards at state literary rallies. Another original oratory delivered before the Louisiana State Farm Bureau Association: “Community Self Government is My Responsibility” took second place honors in 1955. During his high school senior year, he was editor-in-chief of the high school’s yearbook. While an undergraduate university student at Southwestern Louisiana Institute (presently University of Louisiana at Lafayette) in 1957, he wrote a short story: “The Dogged Wrath” receiving honorable mention from a southern association of creative writers. After spending close to forty years in academe and publishing 160 medical/scientific publications (refereed journal articles, reviews, book, monographs), he resumed his passion for creative writing and painting in retirement, publishing: three historical, genealogical, biographical volumes in 2006; his first book of poetry in 2007; and a book of artistic photomontages with poetry in 2008.
Education …
He earned the high school diploma with honors in 1955 from Carencro High School, Carencro, Louisiana; an undergraduate bachelor of science degree in pre-medicine and bacteriology with minors in chemistry and French from the college of liberal arts at Southwestern Louisiana Institute (presently University of Louisiana at Lafayette); graduate studies in microbiology, advanced qualitative organic chemistry and atomic physics at the University of Southwestern Louisiana (presently University of Louisiana at Lafayette); studies in basic medical sciences at Louisiana State University School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana; earned the doctorate from Tulane University School of Medicine and Graduate School, New Orleans, Louisiana. His postdoctoral fellowship (USPHS) was in infectious diseases/medical microbiology research and a residency in clinical microbiology at Children’s Hospital, Laboratory of Bacteriology and the University of Buffalo School of Medicine of the State University of New York at Buffalo; mentored by the late Professor Doctor Erwin Neter, internationally distinguished bacteriologist/immunologist/scholar.
Professional positions and Committees …
Assistant research instructor in pediatrics, The Children’s Hospital and University of Buffalo School of Medicine, Buffalo, New York; director of clinical microbiology, Snodgras Laboratory of Pathology and Bacteriology, St. Louis City Hospital; instructor of medical microbiology, St. Louis University School of Medicine; lecturer in medical microbiology, Washington University, School of Dentistry, St. Louis, Missouri; assistant professor to associate professor to full professor of urology, microbiology, immunology; presently, professor emeritus, in the clinical and basic medical sciences, Tulane University School of Medicine and Graduate School, New Orleans, Louisiana (1967-1997). He was the receipient of numerous research grant awards throughout his career from the National Institutes of Health, Veterans Administration, the Schlieder Foundation, the Cadwallader Foundation, the Harp Family Foundation, the Hume Research Fund, Interstitial Cystitis Association, and grants from various pharmaceutical and biological houses. During his tenure at Tulane, he served on major university committees including: medical school faculty representative to The University Senate, the Committee of 15 Distinguished Professors, The President’s Faculty Advisory Committee, Chairman of the Medical School Faculty Grievance Committee, the Personnel and Honors Committee, Chairman of the Committee for the Use of Animals in Research, Secretary of the General Medical Faculty. He served as president of the Southwestern Association of Clinical Microbiology (1986); Member of the Board of Directors of Southwestern Association of Clinical Microbiology (1982-1987); Nominating Committee for Membership—American Academy of Microbiology (1985); Grant Review Committees of National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, Veterans Administration, Kaiser Research Foundation, Kidney Foundation of Canada; journal reviewer/referee for major scientific/clinical journal editorial boards; invited expert witness, US Congress, Animal Cancer Research Act, 1980; expert witness, Louisiana Dept. of Health and Hospitals, 1988. Consultant medical microbiologist to: ExOxEmis, Inc. Little Rock, Arkansas (1996); Medical Technology Corporation Somerset, N.J. (1983-1990); consultant and member of technical advisory board, Analytab Products, Inc., New York (1972-1977); research consultant, Veterans Administration Hospital, New Orleans; consultant microbiologist, Southern Baptist Hospital pathology laboratories (1968-1984) and Tulane University hospital laboratories, New Orleans (1978-1983); Committee for Infection control, St. Louis City Hospital, St. Louis, MO, Southern Baptist Hospital and Tulane University Hospital, New Orleans (1971-1992).
Invited Distinguished Lectures (selected) …
Divisional Lecturer, American Society for Microbiology (1978), Las Vegas, Nevada; Foundation for Microbiology Lecturer, American Society for Microbiology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1980); American Academy of Microbiology Lecture, Las Vegas, Nevada (1994); State-of-the-Art Lecture, Society for Basic Urological Research, San Francisco, California (1994); International Congress for Endocytobiology Lecture, Tubingen, Germany (1995); First Visiting Professor of Urology Lecture, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (1996); Keynote Speaker, Peruvian Urological Association, Lima Peru (1973); Dean’s Distinguished Faculty Forum Lecture, Tulane (1997); International Seminar on L-Forms Lecture, Montpelier, France (1976); USPHS Professional Association Lecture, San Francisco (1977); Visiting Professor and Lecturer, University of Melbourne, Depts of Medicine and Microbiology, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, Australia (1978) by invitation of Professor Priscilla Kincaid-Smith; Keynote speaker, University of Montpellier, testimonial lecture honoring Prof. Janine Schitt-Slomska, Montpellier, France; Pleomorphism in Biology and Medicine Lecture, Center for Frontier Sciences, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1993; International Society for Endocytobiology Lecture, Blaubeuren, Germany (1996); Japanese Society for Chemotherapy Lecture and Keio University School of Medicine, Kagoshima and Tokoyo lectures (1996).
Publications …
Author of 160 scientific-medical publications: journal articles, monographs, book, book chapters, reviews from 1965-1997; three volumes (over 2100 pages) in 2006 on the genealogy, biography and history of his paternal and maternal families: Memories of a Grandson: Echoes and Footprints of Pioneer Louisiana Spanish-Isleño – French-Acadian Families: Domingue-Prejean-Castille, 375 A.D.- 2006 A.D.; a book of poetry in 2007: Massaging the Intellect; and a photomontage book in 2008: L’habitation Domingue 1895-1963. A painting catalogue was published in 2000: Domingue, An Abstract Expressionist – American Painter, 1997-2000. A book presenting twelve years of Gerald Domingue’s paintings is, in press, 2009.
Honors (selected) …
American Legion of Honor medal (1955); Citizenship medal (1955); Guaranty Scholar, Southwestern Louisiana Institute (1958); Sigma XI (1969); Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology in recognition of distinguished achievement, excellence, originality and creativity in microbiology (1973); Fellow of the Infectious Diseases Society of America for distinguished achievement in microbiology and infectious diseases (1975). Medal of Palmes Académiques – knighted (chevalier) by the country of France, in recognition of exceptional accomplishments in academia, scientific research and for services rendered in the French cultural domain (1995). Biography listed in Who’s Who in the World, -in America; -in South and Southwest; -in Medicine and Health Care; – in Science and Engineering; and in American Men and Women of Science.
Community and Family …
Gerald Domingue lived in New Orleans for forty-four years where he was active in the community as a patron of the arts and a member of various community organizations. He served as the first president of France-Louisiane de la Nouvelle Orléans; was appointed three times by Louisiana governors to the 50 member Council for the Development of French in Louisiana (CODOFIL)—Executive Committee and chairman, membership committee; member of the French-American Business Association; Chairman of the Board of Governors of Le Petit Théâtre du Vieux Carré (oldest community theater in America); also served as secretary and vice-president of the theater Board; former member of the Metropolitan Area Committee; the Bureau of Governmental Research; Alliance for Good Government; member, Greater New Orleans French Board; member, Louisiana Committee on the French Revolution—Chairman, Scholar’s Committee; official representative from Louisiana (CODOFIL, Louisiana Committee on French Revolution and France-Louisiane de la Nouvelle Orléans) to the French Bicentennial Celebration in Paris on July 14, 1989, by invitation of President Francois Mitterand; one of 45 American francophones invited by French government to address “Les Assises de la Francophonie Américaine”, French Senate, Paris, France, December, 1990.
Gerald Domingue is a seventh generation descendant of pioneer Louisiana Spanish-Isleño – French-Acadian Families: Domingue-Prejean-Castille. His paternal grandmother’s ancestry (Prejean-Begnaud) ascends to various royal houses of Europe and on to Charlemagne and beyond—375 A.D., while that of his maternal grandmother (Castille-Cahanin) can be traced to Verena Hirzel (his 8th great-grandmother) of the prominent Hirzel family of Zurich, Switzerland, dating back to Nikolaus Hirzel, 1404; eight Hirzels have served as burgermeister (mayor) of Zurich over the centuries.
Gerald Domingue is the father of three daughters (Andrea, Yvonne, Michelle) and two sons (Gerald J., Jr. and Marcel Gerard); he has four grandsons, Gerald J. Domingue, III, Zachary T. Domingue, Joshua A. Schulman, Mirko N. Bezmalinovic; one granddaughter, Nicole M. Broha Murphy, and one great-granddaughter, Madelyn Teagan Murphy.
By the Staff of Jif-Arts, Zurich, Switzerland