John T. Shepherd (1919–2011)

Abstract

Presents an obituary of John T. Shepherd (1919–2011). He was a visionary physiologist who headed the American Heart Association, served as a NASA adviser and led US scientific exchanges with the Soviet Union during the Cold War, died 4 October 2011 at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. The concept of ‘translational’ research that is in vogue today was inherently obvious to John Shepherd throughout his long career. His scientific work was also the platform that facilitated the training of more than 100 research fellows. In addition to his cutting edge scientific work, Professor Shepherd also had exceptional leadership skills and led the transformation of the Mayo Clinic from a group practice of medicine to a group practice embedded in a world class academic medical center which included a medical school, graduate school and broad based research programs. He became director for education of the Mayo Foundation and dean of the new Mayo Medical School from 1977 to 1983. This included responsibility for the Mayo Graduate School of Medicine and Mayo School of Health-Related Sciences. From 1983 to 1988, Dr Shepherd chaired the Mayo Board of Development and was actively involved in establishment of the Mayo Clinic campus in Jacksonville, FL. He retired from Mayo Clinic in 1989. For those of us who had an opportunity to work with him his superior intellect, great enthusiasm, endless energy, generosity and inclusive leadership style were remarkable. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)