Kaess Trust Endows the Dermatology Foundation with
$1.5 Million Gift

Dr. Karl Kaess and his wife, Carolyn, shared a profound belief in the power of endowments to foster the next generation of medical professionals and strengthen academic institutions. Their $1.5 million gift from the Kaess Trust is a meaningful acknowledgment of the Dermatology Foundation’s role in advancing the specialty and supporting investigative research.

“We are honored by Karl and Carolyn Kaess’s generosity and are deeply committed to being good stewards of their gift,” said Foundation President Janet Fairley. “In keeping with their values and directives, annual proceeds of the endowment will be used to support research that has the greatest potential to improve patient care.”

The son of a family physician, Dr. Kaess pursued undergraduate studies at North Dakota Agricultural College and the University of North Dakota (UND). While in college, he served with the North Dakota National Guard and became a champion marksman, renowned for his trick-shooting exhibitions.

A native of Fargo, North Dakota, he graduated from the UND medical school and earned a Doctor of Medicine degree from Rush Medical School in Chicago in 1940. He received specialized training in dermatology at Northwestern University in Chicago and completed residency training at the Philadelphia Naval Hospital and the University of Pennsylvania. In 1952, he was certified as a diplomate of the American Board of Dermatology and Syphilology.

Dr. Kaess’s distinguished naval career spanned three decades and three wars. During that time, he rose to captain and led dermatology departments at naval hospitals across Camp Pendleton, Chelsea, Newport, Guam, and Bremerton.

An unexpected hero

Kaess was a young general medical officer newly assigned to the US Naval Hospital at Pearl Harbor and had been driving to work when the Japanese launched their surprise attack on December 7, 1941. Working on a barge amid the carnage of Pearl Harbor, he was called upon to perform a precise task; help separate the dead from the living. That day he worked tirelessly alongside a medical team, in a chaotic, life-threatening situation to treat and evacuate to safety more than 540 wounded. The Pearl Harbor death toll reached 2,390, nearly all of them members of the military. His courageous efforts saved numerous lives and earned him the Navy Commendation Ribbon.

Dr. Kaess’s next assignment transferred him to Farragut, Idaho. He later served as senior medical officer aboard the Battleship Missouri, which escorted President Truman to an inter-American security conference in South America.

While based at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, Dr. Kaess commanded a medical battalion poised for deployment during the Korean War, though the war ended before they were called overseas.

He was stationed in the Philippines during the Vietnam War, treating casualties at Subic Bay Hospital.

Dr. Kaess’s final years of military service were spent in San Diego from 1971 to 1973, where he served as senior medical officer at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot. After retiring from active duty, he settled in the Bay Ho neighborhood. He pursued a civilian role as a medical consultant with the California Department of Health until he retired in 1979. He died aged 87 in 2003.

A legacy of service

Carolyn Kaess completed her education at Lewiston Business College and subsequently worked as a secretary for the Army Air Corps Office in Lewiston, Idaho. Her commitment to public service led her to receive a Civil Service commission, and she went on to serve at the US Naval Station on Treasure Island in San Francisco.

Following Dr. Kaess’s death in 2003, Carolyn Kaess continued to make generous gifts through the Kaess Trust and remained actively involved in various community organizations, including Navy Relief, Meals on Wheels, and the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association, until her death in 2023, at the age of 102.

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