Francis W. Peabody entered medical school in 1903 and almost at once was recognized as an extraordinary human being. After a varied and exciting indoctrination in his profession, including responsibility for children ill with the dreaded poliomyelitis, an extensive medical trip to China, and an unintended role in the start of the Bolshevik Russian Revolution, he became the enormously successful chief of a new Harvard unit at the Boston City Hospital. The expectations for a long productive life were snuffed out by cancer six years later when he was only forty-five. Gifted in many spheres and possessed of great courage, his especial compassion and wisdom in patient care have made Peabody’s short life an inspiring legend for all time, an essential message for anyone who practices medicine, and an uplifting experience for any patient.

Dr. Paul Dudley White was the premier heart specialist of this century. He was recognized as an outstanding bedside doctor, a great teacher, and a widely respected investigator. By his optimism, his pioneer message encouraging physical activity, and his emphasis on avoiding unnecessary invalidism, he changed the outlook of thousands of patients with heart disease and changed it for the better. He was the heart specialist called to see President Eisenhower at the time of his heart attack, and by his frank and authoritative discussions with representatives of the media set a precedent for the handling of all future Presidential illnesses. Known around the world, he used his position as a noted scientist and humanitarian to foster international understanding and the quest for world peace.