The John Scott Medal

The City of Philadelphia awarded the John Scott Medal to John H. Gibbon, Jr., MD on 18 September 1953 for his development and successful use of a heart-lung apparatus for open-heart surgery. This first successful operation occurred on 6 May 1953 when Gibbon performed an open cardiotomy to repair a congenital interatrial septal defect. For 26 minutes, the heart-lung machine completely supported all of the patient’s respiratory and circulatory functions.

A 1927 graduate of Jefferson Medical College, Gibbon received his AB from Princeton University in 1923. As a member of the faculty at Jefferson Medical College, he held the positions of Professor of Surgery and Director of the Department of Surgery (1946-1956) and was the Samuel D. Gross Professor and Chairman of the Department of Surgery (1946-1967).

This medal is an example of the objects preserved in the Memorabilia Collection of the University Archives and Special Collections.