Sunday, April 12, 2015
Dr. Levi Watkins, Jr. (1944-2015) - Donald V. Watkins Moving Tribute To His Wonderful Brother and His Incredible Legacy. -- The Angels escorted my brother Levi Watkins, Jr., to his Heavenly home early this morning. He departed his Earthly body after a massive heart attack and stroke on Friday night. Levi died at his beloved Johns Hopkins Hospital, where he saved thousands of patients as a world-renowned heart surgeon. His spirit lives on in the three million patients worldwide whose hearts beat in a normal rhythm because of the implantable defibrillator he invented. Levi was one of my heroes. I loved, admired and respected him so much. I was with Levi years ago when he was first nominated for the Nobel prize in medicine for his invention. I was so proud of Levi and his rugged determination along the journey from rigid racial segregation in Alabama to acknowledged greatness in medicine on the world stage. We reminisced that day about how the University of Alabama at Birmingham would not accept Levi into its medical school in 1966. Instead, the state of Alabama paid Levi’s way to attend Vanderbilt Medical School, where he graduated as the first black medical student in that University’s history.
Saturday, April 11, 2015
Renowned surgeon from Montgomery dies - Montgomery Advertiser - Rebecca Burylo - Levi Watkins Jr., 69, a Montgomery native, lived and died fulfilling his dream to be a world-famous heart surgeon.
TSU alumnus, medical pioneer Levi Watkins dies - The Tennessean - Dr. Watkins enrolled at Tennessee State in 1962, majoring in biology and graduating with honors. He was also elected student body president. In 1966, following graduation, he became the first African-American to be admitted to and to graduate from Vanderbilt's School of Medicine. -- In February 1980, Dr. Watkins performed the world's first human implantation of the automatic implantable defibrillator and would go on to develop several different techniques for the implantation of the device. Watkins also helped to develop the cardiac arrhythmia service at Johns Hopkins where various new open-heart techniques are now being performed to treat patients at risk of sudden cardiac death
Dr. Levi Watkins Jr., a noted Johns Hopkins cardiologist and civil rights activist, died - Baltimore Sun - By Andrea K. McDaniels - He became the first to put an automatic defibrillator in a human heart in 1980 — at a time he was also fighting to diversify the medical staff and student ranks at Hopkins. -- Dr. Watkins was born in Kansas, the third of six children, but grew up in Alabama, where he got his first taste of the civil rights movement. He met Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at the age of 8 when he and his family attended Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, where Dr. King was the pastor. When he grew older, Dr. Watkins would act as a driver, shuttling the pastor around town. Disheartened by the injustices he saw, Dr. Watkins would later join Dr. King's movement. - He attended Tennessee State University as an undergraduate, studying biology. He then made history at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, where he became the first African-American to study and graduate from the school with a medical degree. It was an experience he described over the years as isolating and lonely, but would be the first of many milestones.
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