William Gerald Austen, always known as Jerry, was a giant of American cardiothoracic surgery, a past president of the American College of Surgeons, the author of over 500 peer assessed academic publications and a much-loved friend to all who knew him. He was born in Akron, Ohio, to Bertha Marie

John J. Bergan was an innovative and pioneering vascular surgeon who helped develop a separate surgical specialty for diseases of the arteries and veins. Born in Tampico, Mexico on 4 April 1927, he was the son of Ernest and Arva Yealy Bergan. His parents managed property in the area and always spoke

Lloyd Nyhus was the first Warren Cole professor and head of surgery, and the second academic surgeon, at the University of Illinois, Chicago. During his 22 years as head of the department, Nyhus developed innovative, multidisciplinary residency programmes for more than 300 doctors and recruited top-