Frank A. Oski was born in Philadelphia. He received his B.A. in 1954 from Swarthmore College and his M.D. in 1958 from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. After completing a two-year fellowship at Harvard Medical School, Oski returned to the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in 1963 as an associate in pediatrics and in 1969 was promoted to associate professor of pediatrics. In 1972, he joined the medical school faculty at the State University of New York at Syracuse as chairman in the department of pediatrics. Oski came to Johns Hopkins in 1985 as chairman of the department of pediatrics. He was known as an expert in children's blood disorders and nutrition, an outspoken advocate for breast feeding, and a social activist. He published extensively, served on the editorial board of several pediatric journals, and was senior editor of Principles and Practice of Pediatrics.