Tinsley Randolph Harrison (March 18, 1900 – August 4, 1978) was an American

physician A physician, medical practitioner (British English), medical doctor, or simply doctor is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through the Medical education, study, Med ...

and editor of the first five editions of ''

Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine ''Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine'' is an American textbook of internal medicine. First published in 1950, it is in its 21st edition (published in 2022 by McGraw-Hill Professional ) and comes in two volumes. Although it is aimed at a ...

''. Harrison specialized in cardiology and the pathophysiology of heart disease.

Early life and education

Harrison was born in Talladega,

Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...

, on March 18, 1900. He was the son of Groce Harrison, himself a sixth-generation physician. Having graduated from public schools in

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...

at the age of 15, he subsequently attended

Marion Military Institute Marion Military Institute, the Military College of Alabama, (MMI, sometimes Marion Institute, Marion Military, or simply Marion) is a Public college, public military junior college in Marion, Alabama. Founded in 1842, it is the official state mi ...

in Marion, Alabama for a year. He then pursued his undergraduate studies at the

University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...

, earning a bachelor’s degree in 1919. Dr. Harrison went on to complete his medical education at

Johns Hopkins University The Johns Hopkins University (often abbreviated as Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU) is a private university, private research university in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Founded in 1876 based on the European research institution model, J ...

in Baltimore. His roommate and tennis partner at Johns Hopkins was

Alfred Blalock Alfred Blalock (April 5, 1899 – September 15, 1964) was an American surgeon most noted for his work on the medical condition of shock as well as tetralogy of Fallot – commonly known as blue baby syndrome. He created, with assistance from ...

, with whom he developed a close lifelong friendship. He completed his internship at

Peter Bent Brigham Hospital Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH or The Brigham) is a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School and the largest hospital in the Longwood Medical Area in Boston, Massachusetts. Along with Massachusetts General Hospital, it is one of the two ...

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

, returned to Hopkins for further training in

internal medicine Internal medicine, also known as general medicine in Commonwealth nations, is a medical specialty for medical doctors focused on the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases in adults. Its namesake stems from "treatment of diseases of ...

, and completed his residency at

Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt University (informally Vandy or VU) is a private university, private research university in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, it was named in honor of shipping and railroad magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provide ...

, where he served as the first chief resident in the Department of Medicine.

Career

Harrison's special field of interest was cardiovascular medicine as well as the

pathophysiological Pathophysiology (or physiopathology) is a branch of study, at the intersection of pathology and physiology, concerning disordered physiological processes that cause, result from, or are otherwise associated with a disease or injury. Pathology is ...

mechanisms of disease. His name is best known among physicians as the founding editor and editor-in-chief of the first five editions of ''

''. The text initiated several unique approaches to medical textbook writing, and remains, in its current edition, one of the most widely read and regarded textbooks in medicine. An under publicized fact is that Dr. Harrison pioneered the first bi-pass heart surgery, which was later enhanced by Michael DeBakey in Houston. Harrison's career included extensive work in research, publishing, medical education, and medical practice. He taught at

's school of medicine, at what was then the Bowman Gray School of Medicine at

Wake Forest University Wake Forest University (WFU) is a private research university in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 1834, the university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina. The R ...

in North Carolina and at what is today the

University of Texas Southwestern Medical School The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (UT Southwestern or UTSW) is a Public university, public Academic health science centre, academic health science center in Dallas, Texas. With approximately 23,000 employees, more than 3,000 ...

Dallas, Texas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...

. Harrison spent the greatest part of his teaching career at the

University of Alabama School of Medicine The University of Alabama at Birmingham Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine is the medical school of the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) located in Birmingham, Alabama, United States with branch campuses in Huntsville, Montgomery, and ...

(now known as University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine) in

Birmingham, Alabama Birmingham ( ) is a city in the north central region of Alabama, United States. It is the county seat of Jefferson County, Alabama, Jefferson County. The population was 200,733 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List ...

, where he served as Dean and chairman of the Department of Medicine. At UASOM, Harrison helped initiate a rapid period of growth that included recruitment of nationally known physicians from the faculties of such institutions as

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

and the

Mayo Clinic Mayo Clinic () is a Nonprofit organization, private American Academic health science centre, academic Medical centers in the United States, medical center focused on integrated health care, healthcare, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science ...

. This period saw UASOM rise from local to international prominence. The Tinsley Harrison Research Tower at UASOM is named in his honor, among other sites of interest. Additionally, the current Internal Medicine Residency at UAB is named after Harrison.

Death and biography

Harrison died in Birmingham at the age of 78 on August 4, 1978. In 2014, NewSouth Books released ''Tinsley Harrison, M.D.: Teacher of Medicine,'' a biography of Harrison that included interviews with Harrison, his family, and fellow doctors, written by his colleague and mentee James A. Pittman. The ''

Montgomery Advertiser The ''Montgomery Advertiser'' is a daily newspaper and news website located in Montgomery, Alabama. It was founded in 1829. History The newspaper began publication in 1829 as ''The Planter's Gazette.'' Its first editor was Moseley Baker. It be ...

'' called the book "a superb examination of an extraordinary doctor's life, seen through the lens of a turbulent century of medical and social change" and the ''

Anniston Star ''The Anniston Star'' is the daily newspaper serving Anniston, Alabama, and the surrounding six-county region. Average Sunday circulation in September 2004 was 26,747. However, by 2020 it was approximately half of this. The newspaper is locally ...

'' calls it a "finely crafted biography."

Notable Quotes

"Tact, sympathy and understanding are expected of the physician, for the patient is no mere collection of symptoms, signs, disordered functions, damaged organs, and disturbed emotions. The patient is human, fearful, and hopeful, seeking relief, help and reassurance. To the physician, as to the anthropologist, nothing human is strange or repulsive. The misanthrope may become a smart diagnostician of organic disease, but can scarcely hope to succeed as a physician. The true physician has a Shakespearean breadth of interest in the wise and the foolish, the proud and the humble, the stoic hero and the whining rogue. The physician cares for people."

References

*Merrill WH, "What's Past is Prologue" Ann Thorac Surg 1999;68:2366-75

External links

Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 16th Ed.
at Amazon.com.
University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine
{{DEFAULTSORT:Harrison, Tinsley Randolph Physicians from Alabama Johns Hopkins School of Medicine alumni Vanderbilt University alumni Vanderbilt University faculty Wake Forest University faculty 1900 births 1978 deaths University of Michigan Medical School alumni Physicians of Brigham and Women's Hospital