Hopkins University’s Reluctance to Give Credit Continues After Vivien Thomas’s Death

As shown in this 1995 program handout, the contribution made by Vivien Thomas was dramatically understated during the Johns Hopkins 50th Anniversary celebration of the Blue Baby surgery.

Photo Credit: The Chesney Archives of Johns Hopkins Medicine, Nursing, and Public Health

As late as June 7, 1995, nearly twenty years after granting Thomas an honorary LL.D., Johns Hopkins hosted a “Celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the ‘Blalock-Taussig Shunt.’” The program, shown here, got underway with three tributes: one to Dr. Taussig, one to Dr. Blalock and one to “the first patient.” Although Vivien Thomas was mentioned, there was no tribute to or presentation about Vivien Thomas’s role in creating the surgery.