Hall of fame induction for medical luminaries

Ottawa, ON – September 13, 2004 – Six heroes from Canada’s past and present medical scene are being inducted into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame. This year’s inductees include:

The Honourable Marc Lalonde, former minister of national health & welfare (1972-1977). Mr Lalonde was the political strength behind A New Perspective on the Health of Canadians. The document’s four cornerstones – human biology, environment, lifestyle and health care organization – are integral to the development of health promotion policies worldwide.

Dr Maurice LeClair, former vice dean of medicine at the University of Montreal and dean of Medicine at the Sherbrooke Medical School, Dr LeClair attracted international recognition as an author of the 1974 publication, A New Perspective on the Health of Canadians.

Dr Ernest McCulloch, former president of the National Academy of Science of the Royal Society of Canada. In partnership with Dr JE Till, Dr McCulloch established the concept of stem cells and set the framework for their study.

Dr James Till, whose 1961 ground-breaking paper, published jointly with Dr EA McCulloch established for the first time a quantitative method to study individual stem cells in adult bone marrow.

Dr John FitzGerald, founder of Connaught Laboratories and (1882-1940) the University of Toronto School of Hygiene. He oversaw production of the first Canadian-made rabies vaccine.

Dr Oswald Avery proved that genes are made of DNA (1877-1955), and revolutionized the field of genetics. This has been called one of the most pivotal discoveries of the 20th century.

Established in 1994, the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame is a national charitable organization serving as an enduring tribute to the Canadian men and women who, now and in the past, have contributed to the understanding of disease and the improved health and well-being of people everywhere.