Gordon Murray Lecturers
Gordon Murray was born in 1897, one of six children. He was brought up in an interesting, healthful and stimulating environment in a rural setting near Stratford, Ontario. His father was musical. His mother was probably the profound influence in Gordon Murray’s life. She must have been a remarkable woman, with unusual imagination and knowledge and a never-ceasing interest in nature. She always had time to demonstrate its wonders first-hand to her children and ask them why, how and where, on subjects ranging from rocks, plants and animals to insects.
A healthy, active, athletic school life brought him to medical college in Toronto. He interrupted his medical training to join the army in 1915 as an artillery man. All four Murray brothers joined up – three were old enough for overseas duty, one was killed and Gordon, who experienced Ypres, Somme and Vimy Ridge, was blown up and buried with major wounds. It is said that the site in which he was buried was taken by the Germans, then recaptured before he was disinterred and discovered to be alive. He advanced from being the rider of the lead horse in a gun carriage to the rank of sergeant major.
Returning from war, he finished his medical training in 1921 and after a short time in practice, set off for England for postgraduate training in anatomy and surgery, ending up as Registrar at the London Hospital and acquiring his F.R.C.S. London. On returning to Toronto in 1928, he was taken on by Professor C.L. Starr as resident in general surgery, eventually moving on to the staff at the General Hospital. He became one of the most renowned surgeons in the history of the General Hospital. He retired from the University staff in 1953 and from the hospital staff in 1967.
Dr. Murray’s contributions in medicine are well known. His most notable work was with Heparin. This had been purified by Dr. Charles and Dr. Scott under Professor Best in the Department of Physiology in Toronto. Dr. Murray was one of the first in the world to demonstrate its use in patients in the prevention of thrombosis and embolism and its use in maintaining patency following arterial suture and vein grafts to arteries. Anyone practicing in this era will recall the grave problem of morbidity from phlebitis and the constant risk to life that was present from pulmonary embolism. He studied this subject thoroughly and over a prolonged period of time. He became the international authority on its use in surgery.
YEAR AWARD WINNERS
1981 Dr. Raymond O. Heimbecker
1982 Dr. Stanley Crawford
1983 Sir Roy Calne
1984 Dr. Charles G. Drake
1985 Dr. Judah Folkman
1986 Dr. Tom Starzl
1987 Dr. Martin Allgower
1988 Dr. Joel Cooper
1989 Dr. Michael R. Harrison
1990 Dr. D. Eugene Strandness
1991 Dr. Richard Simmons
1992 Dr. Bryce Weir
1993 Dr. Jonathan Meakins
1994 Col. Basil A. Pruitt Jr., M.D.
1995 Dr. Samuel A. Wells Jr.
1996 Dr. Douglas Wilmore
1997 Dr. Ronald Folse
1998 Dr. Alan Hudson
1999 Dr. A.W. Clowes
2000 Dr. E. Darracott Vaughan Jr.
2001 Dr. Timothy J. Eberlein
2002 Dr. Ara Darzi
2003 Dr. David L. Dunn
2004 Dr. Shafique Pirani
2005 Dr. David N. Herndon
2006 Dr. Michael Apuzzo
2007 Dr. Timothy Buchman
2008 Dr. Randy Rosier
2009 Mr. Oscar Traynor
2010 Dr. Joseph Vacanti
2011 Dr. Inderbir Gill
2012 Dr. Philippe Menasche
2013 Dr. John Niederhuber
2014 Dr. Geoffrey Gurtner
2015 Dr. Clifford Ko
2016 Dr. Mohit Bhandari
2017 Dr. Allan Kirk
2018 Dr. Susan Mackinnon
2019 Dr. Diane M. Simeone
2020 Dr. David A. Rogers