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J. Willis Hurst

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John Willis Hurst (October 21, 1920 – October 1, 2011) was an American physician who served as the cardiologist of former U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson.[1] He was the editor of Hurst's the Heart, one of the most widely used medical textbooks in the world.[1] He also served as a former president of the American Heart Association.[2]

J. Willis Hurst
Born(1920-10-21)October 21, 1920
Cooper, Kentucky, US
DiedOctober 1, 2011(2011-10-01) (aged 90)
Atlanta, Georgia, US
Alma materWest Georgia College
University of Georgia
Medical College of Georgia
OccupationCardiologist
Spouse
Nelie Hurst
​
(m. 1942)​

Throughout his career, Hurst was recognized as a leader in cardiology.[3]

Early life and education

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John Willis Hurst was the only child of John Hurst and Verna Bell Hurst.[4] He was born in Cooper, Kentucky, a community near Monticello, Kentucky, in Wayne County, Kentucky, on October 21, 1920.[5][1] In Cooper, Hurst's father owned and operated a general store.[6]

Eleven months after he was born, Hurst's family moved to Carrollton, Georgia.[4] In Carrollton, Hurst's father served as the principal of a small, local school.[4] During this time, Hurst's family lived in dormitory style housing on the school's grounds with several other teachers, including his aunt.[7] In 1932, Hurst's father quit teaching in order to assist with the development of the Carrollton Federal Savings and Loan Association.[6] At this time, the family moved to a single family home on Cefar Street.[6]

Hurst graduated from Carrollton High School in 1937.[8] He then enrolled at West Georgia College in Carrollton.[4] At West Georgia College he met his future wife Nelie Wiley.[9] After two years, Hurst transferred to the University of Georgia.[4] There, he obtained a Bachelor of Science in zoology and a Bachelor of Science in chemistry.[4]

In 1941, Hurst began his studies at the Medical College of Georgia.[4] He graduated first in his class in 1944.[4] He then began his internship and residency at the University Hospital in Augusta, Georgia.[1]

Career

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In 1946, after completing his residency, Hurst was drafted into the army and was stationed at Fitzsimons General Hospital near Denver, Colorado.[10] During this time he obtained the rank of captain.[1] His tour of duty in Denver was cut short, however, as Hurst was allowed to return home following the news of an automobile accident that killed his mother-in-law and severely injured his sister-in-law.[9]

Then, in 1947 Hurst began working as a fellow at Massachusetts General Hospital.[1] There he met Dr. Paul Dudley White, the Father of American cardiology, who became one of Hurst's most influential mentors.[4][6] Meeting White prompted Hurst to commit to specializing in cardiology.[9]

After completing his fellowship in Massachusetts, Hurst returned to Georgia in 1949 and briefly established a private practice in Atlanta.[4] Then, in 1950, he accepted a job offer at Emory University.[4]

In 1954, Hurst was drafted for the second time.[4] He was assigned to the Bethesda Naval Hospital, where he was appointed Chief of Cardiology.[1] On July 2, 1955, Lyndon B. Johnson, then majority leader of the senate, suffered a heart attack.[4] It was during this incident that Hurst took on the role of Johnson's personal cardiologist.[4] He continued to serve as Johnson's cardiologist until Johnson's death in 1973.[4] Hurst even traveled with Johnson to 15 countries when Johnson served as the vice president during the Kennedy administration.[1] Hurst declined the offer to serve as White House Physician during Johnson's presidency.[1]

Hurst was honorably discharged from the military in 1955 and returned to Emory University.[4] There, he resumed teaching and also practiced consultative cardiology.[4] In 1957, Hurst was named the Chairman of the Department of Medicine at Emory, a position he held until 1986.[4] Even after stepping down from the role of chairman, Hurst continued to teach at Emory.[4] In the early 1960s, Hurst assisted with the creation of both the continuing medical education program in cardiology at Emory and the Emory Clinic.[1] Then, in 1991, Hurst was named as a consultant to Emory's Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine.[4] He continued in this role until 2007.[4] During his time at Emory, Hurst taught more than 5,000 residents and 2,500 residents and fellows.[11]

Hurst served a term as the president of the American Heart Association and a term as the president of the Association of Professors of Medicine.[12] He was also a member of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Council.[12] He also served as Chairman for the Subspecialty Board of Cardiovascular Disease.[13]

Publications

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Throughout his career, Hurst edited over 60 books and published over 350 scientific articles.[4] His works include a children's book and several novels.[12]

Selected bibliography

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  • Hurst, J. Willis; Woodson, Grattan C. (1952). Atlas of spatial vector electrocardiography. New York: Blakiston.
  • Hurst's The Heart (first published 1966, currently in its fourteenth edition)
  • Hurst, J. Willis (1970). Four hats: on teaching medicine and other essays. Chicago. ISBN 978-0815147831.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • Hurst, J. Willis, ed. (1983). Medicine, for the practicing physician. Boston: Butterworths. ISBN 9780409950311. (first published 1983, currently in its fourth edition)
  • Hurst, J. Willis (1992). The bench and me: teaching and learning medicine. New York: Igaku-Shoin. ISBN 9780896402232.
  • Hurst, J. Willis; Alpert, Joseph S. (1994). Diagnostic atlas of the heart. New York: Raven Press. ISBN 978-0781700580.
  • Hurst, J. Willis (1995). Cardiac puzzles. London: Mosby-Wolfe. ISBN 9780723424697.
  • Hurst, J. Willis (1997). The quest for excellence: the history of the Department of Medicine at Emory University School of Medicine, 1834-1986. Atlanta, GA: Scholars Press. ISBN 0788503944.
  • Hurst, J. Willis (1999). The heart: the kids' question and answer book. New York: McGraw-Hill. ISBN 9780070318298.
  • Hurst, Philip W.; Hurst, J. Willis (2000). Prescription for Greed. Frederic C. Beil. ISBN 9781929490042.
  • Chest Pain (2001, co-edited with Douglas C. Morris, M.D.)
  • Tarnished (2005, cowritten with his son Philip W. Hurst)
  • The Last Leaf has Fallen (2007)
  • Short, Short Stories and Random Thoughts (2009)
  • The Bald-Headed Man with Long Gray Hair: A Short Story (2010)

Honors and awards

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Personal life

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On December 20, 1942, John Willis Hurst married Nelie Wiley Hurst.[16] Together, they had three sons: John W. Hurst Jr., J. Stephen Hurst, and Philip W. Hurst.[1] Nelie died on April 26, 2004.[16]

John W. Hurst Jr. followed in his father's footsteps and currently works as a cardiologist in Atlanta, GA.[17]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Grimes, William (October 8, 2011). "Dr. J. Willis Hurst, Cardiologist to Lyndon B. Johnson, Dies at 90". The New York Times. Retrieved July 26, 2014.
  2. ^ Michael, O'Riordan (October 4, 2011). "Dr J Willis Hurst, Iconic Physician and Author, Dies". Medscape. Retrieved July 26, 2014.
  3. ^ Surawicz, Borys (August 23, 1995). "Essays From the Heart". JAMA. 274 (8): 660. doi:10.1001/jama.1995.03530080076051.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v Hurst, J. Willis (John Willis) (February 20, 2014). "J. Willis Hurst papers, 1951-2009, undated". findingaids.library.emory.edu. Retrieved December 10, 2018.
  5. ^ "Dr. J. Willis Hurst Obituary - Atlanta, GA". Dignity Memorial.
  6. ^ a b c d Hurst, J. Willis (2001). "Hurst-Bell" – via J. Willis Hurst papers, 1951-2009, Woodruff Health Sciences Center Library Archives, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia.
  7. ^ Schlant, Robert C. (May 2, 1986). "J. Willis Hurst, M.D.: Distinguished Chairman of Medicine Award – 1986" – via J. Willis Hurst papers, 1951-2009, Woodruff Health Sciences Center Library Archives, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia.
  8. ^ Family-Placed Death Notice (October 4, 2011). "J. Willis Hurst M.D." The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved December 10, 2018.
  9. ^ a b c Silverman, Mark. Biography of John Willis Hust, M.D – via J. Willis Hurst papers, 1951-2009, Woodruff Health Sciences Center Library Archives, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia.
  10. ^ Hurst, J. Willis (1995). J. Willis Hurst Curriculum Vitae – via J. Willis Hurst papers, 1951-2009, Woodruff Health Sciences Center Library Archives, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia.
  11. ^ EmoryDeptofMedicine (May 16, 2016). "J. Willis Hurst: A legendary clinician, teacher, and writer". Emory Daily Pulse. Retrieved January 30, 2019.
  12. ^ a b c "J. Willis Hurst, MD (1920-2011)". med.emory.edu. Retrieved January 30, 2019.[permanent dead link]
  13. ^ a b c d e f Manning, Phil R.; DeBakey, Lois (2004). Medicine: Preserving the Passion in the 21st Century. New York: Springer-Verlag New York Inc.
  14. ^ "Lamartine Hardman Cup" (PDF). Medical Association of Georgia. October 21, 2017. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 1, 2019. Retrieved January 31, 2019.
  15. ^ "List of all recipients of ACP National Awards" (PDF). American College of Physicians. 2019. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 30, 2019. Retrieved January 30, 2019.
  16. ^ a b Family-Placed Death Notice (April 28, 2004). "Nelie Wiley Hurst". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved December 10, 2018.
  17. ^ "Dr. John Willis Hurst, Jr., MD - Atlanta, GA - Cardiology - Book Appointment". doctors.piedmont.org. Retrieved December 10, 2018.
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