1909-1974

American Obstetric Anesthesiologist

Virginia Apgar was an obstetric anesthesiologist best known for developing a scoring system to evaluate newborn babies that is now used around the world. Apgar published more than 60 papers in professional journals on topics related to anesthesiology, birth defects, and resuscitation. During her career she trained about 250 anesthesiologists and administered anesthesia in over 20,000 operations and over 17,000 births.

Virginia Apgar was born in Westfield, New Jersey, on June 7, 1909. She graduated from Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts in 1929. During her undergraduate days she played in the college orchestra and on several athletic teams and reported for the college newspaper. Her energetic pursuit of diverse interests continued beyond college training. Apgar completed medical school at Columbia University's College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City in 1933 and spent 1934 and 1935 completing a surgical residency at the city's Presbyterian Hospital.

Although Apgar did very well in...