John M. T. Finney: Distinguished Surgeon and Oslerphile

Abstract

John Finney (1863-1942) was born near Natchez, Mississippi. After receiving his medical degree from Harvard, he interned at Massachusetts General Hospital and then went to Baltimore to become one of the first interns at the new Johns Hopkins Hospital. He met William Osler the day the hospital opened and became a lifelong admirer of “the Chief.” Finney specialized in gastrointestinal surgery and was recognized for his expertise in the field. Osler recommended Finney to a physician colleague, writing, “You could not be in better hands …. Finney has been most successful and his judgment is so good.” Finney served for 33 years under William Halsted at Hopkins. After Halsted's death, Finney was offered the chair of surgery at Johns Hopkins but declined. He was a founder and first president of the American College of Surgeons. He also served as president of the American Surgical Association and the Society of Clinical Surgery. Finney became chief surgical consultant for the Allied Expeditionary Forces in World War I. He was decorated by the United States, France, and Belgium. Finney was a master surgeon and a role model for generations of students and physicians.