Harry F. Bisel, M.D. (1918–1994) was an American oncologist. With Fred Ansfield, Herman Freckman, Arnoldus Goudsmit, Robert Talley, William Wilson, and Jane Wright, was one of the founding members of the

American Society of Clinical Oncology The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) is a professional organization representing physicians of all oncology sub-specialties who care for people with cancer. Founded in 1964 by Fred Ansfield, Harry Bisel, Herman Freckman, Arnoldus G ...

(ASCO). This group of pioneering doctors, through the formation of ASCO, is largely credited with the development of modern American clinical oncology. In 1964, Bisel was elected the first president of ASCO. He was active in the

American Cancer Society The American Cancer Society (ACS) is a nationwide voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer. Established in 1913, the society is organized into six geographical regions of both medical and lay volunteers operating in more than ...

and was a consultant to the National Cancer Institute. Bisel was a founding member of the

American Society of Preventive Oncology The American Society of Preventive Oncology is a multidisciplinary professional society dedicated to cancer prevention and control research. It was established in 1976. The society contributes 48 pages per year to the Journal ''Cancer Epidemiology ...

as well as the American Association for Cancer Education.

Life and education

He was born on June 17, 1918 in Manor, Pennsylvania. He attended Peabody High School and the University of Pittsburgh. There, he received the

MD degree MD, Md, mD or md may refer to: Places * Moldova (ISO country code MD) * Maryland (US postal abbreviation MD) * Magdeburg (vehicle plate prefix MD), a city in Germany * Mödling District (vehicle plate prefix MD), in Lower Austria, Austria People ...

in 1942. Dr. Bisel did graduate work at the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard Medical School. He was one of the first trainees to graduate from the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Medical Neoplasia Center. In 1971, Dr. Bisel received the Hench Award from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. He was in the United States Navy Reserve from 1942 to 1978, and on active duty from 1943 to 1947. During World War II, he was a

flight surgeon A flight surgeon is a military medical officer practicing in the clinical field of aviation medicine. Although the term "flight surgery" is considered improper by purists, it may occasionally be encountered. Flight surgeons are physicians ( MD ...

and was awarded three battle stars for action in the Pacific. Dr. Bisel was the first formally trained oncologist hired by the

Mayo Clinic The Mayo Clinic () is a nonprofit American academic medical center focused on integrated health care, education, and research. It employs over 4,500 physicians and scientists, along with another 58,400 administrative and allied health staff, ...

. He was on staff from 1963 until he retired in 1983. He founded the Mayo Clinic Section of Medical Oncology, and was chairmen from 1963 to 1972. He also served as a faculty member of the Mayo Graduate School of Medicine and the Mayo Medical School. He married

Sara C. Bisel Dr. Sara C. Bisel (1932–1996) was a physical anthropologist and classical archaeologist who played a prominent role in early scientific research at Herculaneum, a Mediterranean coastal town destroyed by the 79 AD eruption of Mount Vesuvius. ...

and had three children: Jane, Clark and Harold.

Selected review papers

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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bisel, Harry 1918 births 1994 deaths People from Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania American oncologists People from Rochester, Minnesota University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine alumni University of Pennsylvania alumni Harvard Medical School alumni 20th-century American physicians