Garland Perdue Lectureship, Dept. of Surgery, Emory University SOM

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It would be difficult to imagine a life as rich, diverse and significant in its contributions to Emory and the development of surgery in general as that of Garland D. Perdue, Jr., MD. Deeply respected for his business acumen, high ethical standards and leadership skills, Dr. Perdue was also known for deftly balancing dedication to family, community and career.

A Georgia native, Dr. Perdue's enrollment at Emory College was interrupted by his military enlistment at age 17 during the height of WWII. He served in the 311th Infantry Regiment, fought across France and Germany, received the Bronze Star for valor in combat and rose to the rank of First Sergeant during a German tour in the Army of Occupation. When discharged, he returned to Emory and completed medical school as well as his surgical training.

He joined the faculty of the Department of Surgery at Emory in 1958 and was appointed chief of the division of vascular surgery in 1960, a position he held for 24 years. In 1966, he served as primary surgeon on the first kidney transplant performed in Georgia. He also established Emory's Vascular Surgical Residency in 1969, the first such program in the United States to receive peer review accreditation. He was appointed medical director of both Emory University Hospital and The Emory Clinic in 1984 and executive director of Emory University Healthcare in 1993. Three years later he retired from administrative duties, completing more than 38 years of service to Emory.

A regional and national leader in his specialty, Dr. Perdue helped to establish the Atlanta Vascular Society, was a founding member and early President of the Southern Association for Vascular Surgery and served as President of the North American Chapter of the International Society for Cardiovascular Surgery. His alma mater honored him with the Medal Alumni Association Award of Honor in 2004 and he received the prestigious Rudolph Matas Lifetime Achievement Award from the Southern Association for Vascular Surgery in 2006.

Dr. Perdue died on September 11, 2007, at age 81 after an extended series of illnesses. To honor his legacy as one of the premier vascular surgeons, educators and innovators in the South during the second half of the twentieth century, Dr. Perdue's family and many of his grateful residents, colleagues and friends initiated the Annual Garland Perdue Lectureship in 2008.

Garland Perdue Lectureship Speakers 2008 – To Date
Speaker	Affiliation	Topic	Date
Louis M. Messina, MD	Professor and Chief, Division of Vascular Surgery; Vice Chair, Department of Surgery; University of Massachusetts Medical School	Mesenchymal Stem Cell Dysfunction in Response to Hindlimb Ischemia in Type 2 Diabetic Mice	12/03/09
Bruce Perler, MD, MBA	Julius H. Jacobson, II, Professor of Surgery; Chief, Division of Vascular Surgery; Department of Surgery Johns Hopkins Medicine	Evidence-Based Medicine and the Contemporary Management of Carotid Artery Disease	11/13/08

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