1920-
Heart Surgeon

The New Specialization.

After the development of the heart-lung machine in the mid 1950s, which made open-heart surgery possible, a new group of heart-surgery specialists emerged to meet the demand for new techniques. Dr. Denton A. Cooley was among the first such specialists, and he quickly rose to become one of its foremost practitioners.

Education and Early Inspiration.

Cooley studied at the University of Texas at Austin and received his M.D. at Johns Hopkins University, where he then served as an intern and as a resident and worked under respected heart surgeon Dr. Alfred Blalock. In November 1944 he assisted Blalock in the first blue-baby operation, which corrected a heart defect that prevented the infant from receiving enough oxygen. This experience in particular inspired Cooley to pursue a specialization as a heart surgeon.

A Growing Reputation.

In 1954 Cooley returned to his...