โ Scribed by Hulbert, Samuel F.
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
One of the most important days in my life was November 18, 1968. That was the day I met Dr. C. William Hall, internationally recognized as one of the pioneers in artificial organs and biomaterials research. For almost 24 years Bill Hall was my teacher, mentor, colleague, and friend. No one had more influence on my professional life than Bill Hall. We don't have enough heroes today. Bill Hall is the giant among my heroes.
My ideas on biomaterial development and the design of artificial organs and prosthetic devices have been profoundly influenced by Bill Hall. However, I have been even more influenced by how he interacted with other human beings. His gentlemanliness, his graciousness, his willingness to help others, and his loyalty made him a model to emulate.
The thing that was so special about Bill Hall was that our relationship was not unique. The same testimonial could be given by literally hundreds of biomaterial scientists and engineers from all over the world. No one had a more positive influence on the biomaterial research community than Bill Hall.
I think it is appropriate to note a few of Bill Hall's technical accomplishments. He directed the development of the first implantable blood pump to be used clinically. He developed a bioadherent dressing that acts like an artificial skin and is used to cover areas of third-degree burns.
Bill introduced velour fabric into the field of biomaterials, and it is now widely used as a tissue bonding interface and as a vascular prosthesis.
Bill's work on the development of a direct skeletal attachment endoprosthesis in particular, and percutaneous leads in general, is the basis of our understanding of the air-skin-implant interface. Bill was the author of over 100 papers, a number of which are true classics and should be read by every new biomedical researcher.
One of the important days in the history of biomaterials was February 1,1969. At the close of the First International Biomaterials Symposium, Bill shared with me his vision for the formation of a society for biomaterials. Twenty-three years later, the Society for Biomaterials is truly the international forum for the sharing of research ideas concerning the development and evaluation of material for artifical organs and prosthetic devices.
Dr. C. William Hall is the Father of the Society for Biomaterials. It is very unlikely that there would now be a forum where more than 1000 biomedical researchers from all over the world come together each year to share their latest results if it weren't for the vision of C. William Hall.
Bill Hall has a number of great legacies including the American Society for Artificial Internal Organs, the Academy of Surgical Research, and the Society for Biomaterials, but his greatest legacy is the beneficial impact he has had and will continue to have on the lives of literally hundreds of individuals.
My own feelings concerning the death of C. William Hall are captured in John Donne's "Meditation XVII," from Devotions upon Emergent Occasions:
๐ SIMILAR VOLUMES
Bill Hall is justifiably renowned for his contributions to the development of some of the original concepts and the development of one of the earliest successful cardiopulmonary bypass devices and totally implantable replacement hearts. He worked at this from 1963 until he left Baylor University in
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