A Scientific Revolution: Ten Men and Women Who Reinvented American Medicine

A prismatic examination of the evolution of medicine, from a trade to a science, through the exemplary lives of ten men and women.

Johns Hopkins University, one of the preeminent medical schools in the nation today, has played a unique role in the history of medicine. When it first opened its doors in 1893, medicine was a rough-and-ready trade.  It would soon evolve into a rigorous science. It was nothing short of a revolution. 

This transition might seem inevitable from our vantage point today. In recent years, medical science has mapped the human genome, deployed robotic tools to perform delicate surgeries, and developed effective vaccines against a host of deadly pathogens. But this transformation could not have happened without the game-changing vision, talent, and dedication of a small cadre of individuals who were willing to commit body and soul to the advancement of medical science, education, and treatment. 

A Scientific Revolution recounts the stories of John Shaw Billings, Max Brödel, Mary Elizabeth Garrett, William Halsted, Jesse Lazear, Dorothy Reed Mendenhall, William Osler, Helen Taussig, Vivien Thomas, and William Welch.  This chorus of lives tells a compelling tale not just of their individual struggles, but how personal and societal issues went hand-in-hand with the advancement of medicine. 

Dr. Ralph H. Hruban is a Professor of Pathology and Oncology and the Baxley Professor and Director of the Department of Pathology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Chicago and is a 1985 Johns Hopkins School of Medicine alumnus. Dr. Hruban is the Director of The Sol Goldman Pancreatic Cancer Research Center at Johns Hopkins.

Dr. Hruban has received numerous awards including the Frank H. Netter Award for Special Contributions to Medical Education and the 2013 Johns Hopkins University Distinguished Alumni Award. In 2013 he was elected a member of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina. Dr. Hruban has also received five teaching awards from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Dr. Hruban has written more than 800 scientific papers and eight books. He produced an award-winning documentary on the life of the surgeon William Stewart Halsted

Will Linder is a Chicago-based writer and editor. He is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the Johns Hopkins University Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, where he majored in history. In addition, he holds master’s degrees in business administration and liberal arts from the University of Chicago. Will has had a long career in business, academic, and journalistic writing. He serves on the Johns Hopkins University Alumni Council and the Krieger School’s Humanities Advisory Council. Will is also a huge Blue Jays lacrosse fan.