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(Circulation. 1999;99:2970-2971.)
© 1999 American Heart Association, Inc.

In Memoriam

Thomas W. Mattingly

Robert J. Hall, MD¹

¹ Director of Cardiology Education, St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital and Texas Heart Institute, Houston, Tex

The profession of medicine and in particular the field of cardiology lost a gifted physician, medical educator, researcher, and author on February 12, 1999, with the death of Thomas William Mattingly at the age of 92. He died in Davidson, NC, where he had lived for the last 10 years.

His career was a multifaceted one, marked by outstanding service in cardiology in both the military and civilian communities. His low-keyed, unassuming demeanor belied a talent that led him to treat heads of state, to receive honors, and to serve in several high-profile positions. As one of the founders of the cardiology training programs of the United States Army Medical Corps, Dr Mattingly was a mentor to many young physicians and cardiologists in those programs. It was in that capacity that I first came to know him. Although he had a reputation as a disciplinarian with his trainees, he had a gentle manner with patients and colleagues and was possessed of a genuine sense of humor.

View larger version (137K): [in this window] [in a new window]   Figure 1.

Dr Mattingly is probably best known to the public as the chief consulting cardiologist for President Eisenhower from 1953 until the president's death in 1969. When Eisenhower had his first heart attack in 1955, Dr Mattingly led the medical team that provided day-to-day care for the president and also counseled his patient and, via news conferences, the nation as to their leader's condition and prognosis. This information proved key in allowing the president to assess his own ability to run for a . . . [Full Text of this Article]