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John Young Templeton III was born in 1917 in Portsmouth, Virginia, and graduated from Jefferson Medical College in 1941. He completed his residency training under Dr. John H. Gibbon, Jr., and was the first resident who worked on Gibbon's heart-lung machine. After his training, he remained at Jefferson as an American Cancer Society fellow and Damon Runyon fellow and went on to become the fourth Samuel D. Gross Professor and Chair of the Department of Surgery in 1967. Dr. Templeton was the recipient of numerous grants and published over 80 papers in the field of cardiothoracic surgery. As a teacher and mentor, he was a beloved figure who placed great faith in his residents. He participated in over 60 professional societies, serving as president to many such as the Philadelphia Academy of Surgery and the Pennsylvania Association of Thoracic Surgery. He was also recognized through his many awards, in particular the John Y. Templeton III lectureship established in 1980 at Jefferson of whom Denton Cooley was the first lecturer. Dr. Templeton retired from practice in 1987. He is forever remembered as an important model of a modern surgeon evident in numerous academic achievements, the admiration and affection of his trainees, and the lives of patients that he had touched.
T HE EARLY HALF of the 20th century was a dynamic time in cardiothoracic surgery. Brilliant minds of that era were pushing the field toward bold procedures that were both daring and life-saving. Many advancements were being made with the advent of World War II and the increased skill obtained in repairing complex diseases, skill that would soon be applied to valvular repairs and open heart surgery. It was during this time, armed with ingenuity and deftness, that John Y. Templeton III first ventured on the road to becoming a renowned cardiothoracic surgeon and a major contributor to the surgical community.
John Young Templeton III was born in...