John Kirklin as a General Surgeon

To the Editor: Dr. Cooley's memorial of Dr. John Kirklin1 in the most recent issue of the Texas Heart Institute Journal was much appreciated. In light of Dr. Kirklin's fame in the cardiovascular field, it is often forgotten that he was an excellent general surgeon as well. When he served as Chairman of the Department of Surgery at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (1966–1982), he continued and expanded a tradition of excellence in general surgery begun by the previous chairman, Dr. Champ Lyons. Dr. Kirklin brought faculty of the highest caliber to UAB, and many general surgeons have Dr. Kirklin to thank for superb training in their chosen fields. I am honored to be one of them.