Tara WinkFor almost 140 years, the Knipp family has been woven into the history of the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM). Spanning five consecutive generations, the Knipps stand as the only family in UMSOM history to sustain such a continuous medical legacy.
Roots of the Knipp Medical Legacy: Harry Edward Knipp, MD (1867-1929)
The University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) Knipp legacy began with Dr. Harry Edward Knipp, Class of 1887. Dr. Knipp was born in Baltimore on Oct. 25, 1867. He entered UMSOM in 1884 under preceptor Dr. George Rose Graham. Dr. Knipp’s medical thesis on Antipyrine is available digitally in the UMB Digital Archive; he graduated at age 19.
After graduation, Dr. Knipp worked in the clinic at the University of Maryland Hospital, predecessor of the University of Maryland Medical System, before setting up a private medical practice at Fremont Avenue and Lanvale Street in Baltimore.
He married Georgie Davis Knipp, a teacher in Carroll and Baltimore counties. They had two children: Minna B. and George Adam Knipp. Georgie died from tuberculosis in 1912. After Georgie’s death, Harry married Eunice Sibley Knipp, with whom he had another daughter, Elizabeth. Dr. Knipp died in 1929 after surgery.
Second Generation of Family Practice: George Adam Knipp, MD (1899-1964)
Born Jan. 16, 1899, Dr. George Adam Knipp grew up under the influence of his physician father. He served in the merchant marine during World War I, entering the School of Medicine in 1919. While at UMSOM, he was active in Phi Beta Pi, Iota Pi, and the Spencer Pathological Society. Dr. Knipp graduated in 1923, receiving the third-highest grade point average in his class.
Following graduation, he became an instructor in physiology and pediatrics (until 1929) at UMSOM and served as a pediatrician at the University Hospital Dispensary before establishing his own family practice on Edmondson Avenue in Baltimore. In addition to his office, Dr. Knipp was a member of the staff at several Baltimore Hospitals. George married Jack Alberta Welch, and they had one son, Harry Lester Knipp.
Dr. George A. Knipp practiced in Baltimore for over 40 years. He was a founding member of the Maryland Academy of General Practice. He retired in 1964 and died that year.
A Beloved Baltimore Physician: Harry Lester Knipp, MD (1924-2011)
Born in the home of his grandfather, Harry E. Knipp, Dr. Harry Lester Knipp grew up immersed in medicine. He served as a lieutenant in the Army Air Forces during World War II. He graduated from UMSOM in 1951 and was active in Phi Beta Pi.
After medical school, he completed his residency in internal medicine at St. Agnes Hospital and joined his father, George A. Knipp, in family practice. His daily routine included hospital rounds in the morning, afternoon office hours, a break at home for dinner and a nap, and then evening office hours until the last patient was seen. Drs. George and Harry L. Knipp did not make appointments for patients; patients were seen as they arrived and based off intensity of their symptoms. The doctors also accepted goods and services when patients could not pay in cash. They were known to make house calls when needed.
Dr. Harry L. Knipp married Barbara Clarke, and they raised three children: George H. Knipp, John W. Knipp, and Harry Clarke Knipp.
Active in both professional organizations and medical education, he served as president of the Maryland Academy of Family Practice, taught as an assistant professor at UMSOM, and practiced medicine until his retirement in 1993 due to advanced arthritis. Dr. Knipp died Nov. 21, 2011, of intestinal disease.
A Shift from Family Medicine: Harry Clarke Knipp, MD (1951-)
Dr. Harry Clarke Knipp was born in January 1951 while his father, Dr. Harry L. Knipp, was in his final year of medical school. Harry Clarke was raised in his grandfather and father’s Edmondson Avenue medical practice. He began his medical experience early: answering phones, shadowing his father and grandfather, and accompanying them on house calls. Dr. Knipp graduated from UMSOM in 1976. While at UMB, he was president of his class and editor of the Aesclepian, the UMSOM student newspaper.
Initially, he planned to follow his family’s roots and enter family practice; however, he discovered a love for radiology in his senior year of medical school. Despite family and UMSOM pressure, Dr. Knipp became a radiologist. In 1981, Dr. Knipp joined the radiology staff at Carroll County Hospital and was later named chief of staff.
In the mid-1990s, Dr. Knipp, along with four other Maryland doctors, founded Advanced Radiology, PA, the largest imaging provider in the state. He was named the first chairman of the Maryland Board of Physicians by the governor in 2004 and remained on the board for 10 years.
At UMB, Dr. Knipp has served as instructor and clinical assistant professor in UMSOM’s Department of Radiology. He is one of UMB’s most active alumni, serving as chair of the Board of Trustees of the UMB Foundation, treasurer and later president of the Medical Alumni Association, chair of the editorial board of UMSOM’s Bulletin, and a recipient of the 2019 Catalyst for Excellence award.
He and his wife, Nora, raised three children: Katy, John, and David.
Continuing the Legacy: David Edward Knipp, MD
In 2014, David Edward Knipp, son of Harry Clarke Knipp, cemented his family’s legacy as UMSOM’s only five‑generation family of graduates.
David earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania. After graduation from UMSOM in 2014, he went on to train in diagnostic radiology in Boston. Today, he practices in Clearwater, Fla.
Across five generations, the Knipp family has shaped medical care, medical education, and medical governance in Maryland. Their story is not simply one of family legacy, but one of service — to their profession and to their school.
