John Heysham Gibbon Jr., AB, MD, (September 29, 1903 – February 5, 1973) a surgeon who is famous for inventing the heart-lung machine and performing the first open heart surgery (a repair of an atrial septal defect). He was the son of Dr. John Heysham Gibbon, Sr., and Marjorie Young Gibbon (daughter of General Samuel Baldwin Marks Young). He came from a long line of medical doctors including his father, grandfather Robert, great-grandfather John (who dropped the final 's' from the family name and who never used his medical degree but instead worked as the chief assayer of the Charlotte Mint), and great-great grandfather John Hannum Gibbons, who took his degree from the University of Edinburgh. Another great-great grandfather, John Lardner, was also a physician. His grandfather was a surgeon of James H. Lane's Brigade at the Battle of Gettysburg which fought against the division commanded by his own brother General St.Peter John Gibbon.

He received his AB from Princeton University in 1923 and his MD from Jefferson Medical College of Philadelphia in 1927. Later, he received honorary degrees from the Universities of Princeton, Buffalo and Pennsylvania, and Dickinson College. He married Mary Hopkinson, daughter of painter Charles Hopkinson. He had three children, Mary, Alice, and John.

During World War II he served in the Burma China India Theater.

References

• Singh, Jaswinder; Dhaliwal Rajinder Singh, Luthra Suvitesh, Das Debasis, Mehta Sudhir (2006). "Seventy-five years after the birth of an idea: a tribute to John H Gibbon Jr". J. Am. Coll. Surg. 202 (2): 384–5.
• Edmunds, L Henry (2003). "Advances in the heart-lung machine after John and Mary Gibbon". Ann. Thorac. Surg. 76 (6): S2220–3.
• Camishion, Rudolph C (2003). "Remembering John H. Gibbon, Jr, MD". Ann. Thorac. Surg. 76 (6): S2199–200.
• Shumacker, Harris B (2003). "Reminiscences of John H. Gibbon, Jr, MD". Ann. Thorac. Surg. 76 (6): S2195–6.
• DeBakey, Michael E (2003). "John Gibbon and the heart-lung machine: a personal encounter and his import for cardiovascular surgery". Ann. Thorac. Surg. 76 (6): S2188–94.
• (2003). "Gibbon and his Heart-Lung Machine: 50 Years and Beyond. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. May 2, 2003". Ann. Thorac. Surg. 76 (6): S2185–259.
• Fou, A A (1997). "John H. Gibbon. The first 20 years of the heart-lung machine". Texas Heart Institute journal / from the Texas Heart Institute of St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital, Texas Children's Hospital 24 (1): 1–8.
• Bing, R (1994). "John H. Gibbon, Jr. Cardiopulmonary bypass--triumph of perserverance and character". Clinical cardiology 17 (8): 456–7.
• Templeton, J Y (1993). "Early recollections of Dr. John H. Gibbon, Jr". Journal of Cardiac Surgery 8 (3): 396–7.
• Shumacker, H B (1984). "John H. Gibbon, Jr.: the heart-lung machine and progress in cardiovascular surgery". Transactions & studies of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia 6 (4): 249–63.
• Dobell, A R (1982). "John H. Gibbon, Jr. Part II. Personal reminiscences". Ann. Thorac. Surg. 34 (3): 342–4.
• Hill, J D (1982). "John H. Gibbon, Jr. Part I. The development of the first successful heart-lung machine". Ann. Thorac. Surg. 34 (3): 337–41.
• Shumacker, H B (1982). "John Heysham Gibbon, Jr.: September 29, 1903-February 5, 1973". Biographical memoirs. National Academy of Sciences (U.S.) 53 213–47.
• Muller, W H (1977). "The John H. Gibbon Jr. Lecture: the evolution and current status of surgery of the aortic valve". Bulletin of the American College of Surgeons 62 (11): 20–31.
• Crafoord, C; Dennis C, Shumacker H B (1974). ""John H. Gibbon, Jr., as I knew him"". Transactions & studies of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia 41 (3): 187–92.
• Rhoads, J E (1974). "Memoir of John Heysham Gibbon, Jr. 1903-73". Transactions & studies of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia 41 (3): 194–7.
• (1974). "Memorial service for John Heysham Gibbon, Jr., M.D". Transactions & studies of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia 41 (3): 176–82.
• Camishion, R C (1973). "John H. Gibbon, Jr. (1903-1973)". J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. 66 (6): 982–4.
• "John H. Gibbon, Jr., M.D". Review of surgery 27 (4): 230.
• FLICK, J B (1957). "Memoir of John Heysham Gibbon (1871-1956)". Transactions & studies of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia 25 (2): 116–8.

See also

• List of surgeons

External links

• John Heysham Gibbon - Medical Doctor with a Penchant for Engineering - Today's Engineer IEEE
• John H. Gibbon, Jr. - 10 Notable Jefferson Alumni of the Past - Thomas Jefferson University
• John Gibbon - National Inventors Hall of Fame
• John Heysham Gibbon - inventors.about.com
• John Heysham Gibbon, Jr. - Biographical Memoirs, National Academy of Science