Harold Clifton Urschel, Jr., MD, LLD(HON), DS(HON): a conversation with the editor

Harold C. Urschel, Jr., MD, and William C. Roberts, MD

From Baylor Heart and Vascular Institute, Baylor University Medical Center, Dallas, Texas.

Corresponding author: Harold C. Urschel, Jr., MD, 3600 Gaston Avenue, Suite 1201, Dallas, Texas 75246.

Hal Urschel (Figure 1) was born in Toledo, Ohio, and he grew up primarily in Bowling Green, 20 miles away. After public schools, he went to Princeton University on a football scholarship and graduated cum laude in 1951. The Princeton team was undefeated during his freshman and senior years. He also had a scholarship to Harvard University School of Medicine, where he again graduated cum laude in 1955. His internship, residency, and chief residency in general, vascular, cardiac, and thoracic surgery were at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in Boston. After serving in the US Navy as chief of experimental surgery at the National Naval Medical Research Center in Bethesda, Maryland, he and his young family moved to Dallas and have been here ever since.

In addition to his practice at Baylor University Medical Center (BUMC), Dr. Urschel has taught extensively and is clinical professor of cardiovascular and thoracic surgery at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School. He has published over 300 articles in medical journals or chapters in books and has been an editor of and major contributor to 7 books. He has been visiting professor at a number of medical centers in the USA and abroad and is an honorary member of the thoracic surgery faculty of the University of Toronto and the Harvard Medical School. He has been president of 5 major surgical societies, the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, American College of Chest Physicians, International Academy of Chest Physicians, Southern Thoracic Surgical Association, and Texas Surgical Society. He has received a number of honors for his achievements, including 2 honorary doctorates. He and his lovely and brilliant wife, Betsey, are the proud parents of 5 offspring, all of whom are graduates of Princeton University. He is also a good guy and fun to be around.