George J. Heuer Collection

George J. Heuer was born in Madison, Wisconsin on February 6, 1882. His parents had both emigrated from Germany. As a youngster, his uncle Julius was a great stimulus and took George on many trips with him. Heuer graduated from the University of Wisconsin in 1903 and from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine with honors in 1907. He served 1 year as a surgical intern under Dr. Halsted. From 1908 to 1909 he was an assistant resident in neurosurgery with Dr. Cushing at Johns Hopkins. He completed 2 years of additional training as an assistant resident under Halsted, and from 1911 through 1914 he served as Halsted's 13th resident surgeon. Dr. Heuer then joined the surgical staff at Johns Hopkins. His initial career interests were primarily in neurosurgery. In 1914, Dr. Halsted sent him to Breslau, Germany, as an ex-change professor. His visit was cut short due to the early hostilities leading to World War I. He returned to Hopkins and continued his work in neurosurgery and general surgery. Between 1918 and 1919, he served as Chief Surgeon of Evacuation Hospital Number 10 in France where he made many contributions that enhanced the treatment of penetrating war wounds of the chest.

In a letter dated December 16, 1918, Dr. Halsted noted the following, "Heuer is the only member of the Unit who writes me with some regularity-about every six months. His letters have been particularly interesting to me, and far more instructive than the publications of our surgeons on the subject of their operative experiences abroad. I miss Heuer greatly, discovering that I leaned on him heavily."...

Heuer accepted the Chair of Surgery and moved to Cincinnati in 1922. The Board of Trustees agreed with his demands to set aside a ward in the general hospital for his exclusive use to pursue clinical research and treat private patients, that Heuer alone would select the surgical faculty, and a research laboratory would be established. Heuer brought with him some of his associates from Johns Hopkins, including Mont Reid, to serve as associate staff surgeon, and several surgery residents....

In 1932, the University of Cincinnati conferred upon Dr. Heuer the degree of Doctor of Laws, and he moved to the New York Hospital Cornell Medical Center as surgeon-in-chief and chair of the Department of Surgery. He took on this new role with the understanding that he would establish a residency training program at New York Hospital and he gathered together into his newly formed program 3 groups of trainees, those remaining from the prior program in the New York Hospital, several from Cincinnati, and several trainees of Dr. Cushing from Boston. Dr. Heuer formally retired from his position at Cornell on July 1, 1947. Although he was no longer clinically active subsequently he served as a consultant at Cornell, and he continued his efforts to complete his biography of Dr. Halsted. In 1948, Dr Heuer received a great honor; the March 1948 issue of Surgery was designated the George J. Heuer Birthday Volume. It included several articles by individuals who were closely as- sociated with him. He was praised by Noland Carter, who wrote, "He has always intensely concerned himself with each of 'his men' spending much time and thought in planning their careers, stimulating them to improve themselves, and offering kindly and constructive criticism, not only of their professional activities, but also of their ideals."...

During his retirement he continued to enjoy visiting and corresponding with former associates and trainees. He died of a myocardial infarction on December 15, 1950.

Source: "Man Is Fashioned, Not Born: The Contributions of George J. Heuer to Surgical Education Guitron", Julian et al. Journal of Surgical Education , Volume 69 , Issue 2 , 261 - 266.