1890-1984

American Gynecologist and Obstetrician

American gynecologist, obstetrician, and researcher John Rock played a leading role in two landmark developments in the field of human reproduction. He is best known for his work in producing and testing the oral contraceptive, a device which revolutionized the modern birth control movement. Rock's earlier research, motivated by the desire to help childless women, culminated in the first successful fertilization of a human ovum in a test tube—in vitro fertilization.

John Rock was born on March 24, 1890, in Marlborough, Massachusetts, where his father was a businessman. After being fired twice as an accountant, Rock abandoned the business world to pursue an education, obtaining his M.D. degree in 1918 at Harvard Medical School. In 1925 he married Anna Thorndike, and eventually became the father of five and the grandfather of 19. Appointed Assistant Professor of Obstetrics at Harvard in 1922, Rock began practicing in...