James F. Dickson III, M.D.

James F. Dickson III, M.D., age 99 of Provincetown, MA., died on August 12, 2023 following a brief illness. Dr. Dickson was born in Boston, MA., on May 4, 1924 to James F. Dickson Jr and Mary E. (Rich) Dickson. He graduated from Dartmouth College and Harvard Medical School in 1947.

He was trained as a general and thoracic surgeon on the Harvard Surgical Service at the Boston City Hospital and was a Fellow at the Thorndike Memorial Laboratory. During the Korean War he was Chief of Surgery at the 8055 Mobile Army Surgical Hospital in Korea. From 1954 to 1960 he was engaged in the practice of thoracic cardiovascular surgery and in cardiovascular research at the Peter Bent Brigham and Boston City Hospitals.

From 1961 to 1965, at the Electronic Systems Laboratory at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, he was engaged with Lawrence Stark, Claude Shannon, and Norbert Weiner in the application of information, communication, and control theory for the study of the biological systems and for the development and implementation of a remote, online, computer-oriented system for biomedical research and health care. During this period he was active on national committees concerned with science, technology, and health and served as Senior Consultant for Health with the President’s Commission on Technology, Automation, and Economic progress. From 1965 to 1989 Dr. Dickson was Director of the Engineering in Biology and Medicine program at the National Institutes of Health, Director of Health for the President’s Advisory Council on Management Improvement and Assistant Surgeon General. In 1989 Dr. Dickson and his wife, Vivian, retired to Provincetown, MA.

From 1990 to 2000 he was Senior Advisor to the Dean, Harvard Medical School. He was also a member of the Visiting Committee of Harvard Medical School, and the Board of Overseers of Dartmouth Medical School. Dr. Dickson was a member of the National Academy of Medicine, a Diplomat of the American Board of Surgery, a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, a Past President of the Biomedical Engineering Society, and an author of some fifty professional papers on surgery and biomedical research. He was the editor and co-editor of six books dealing with science, technology and medicine.

Dr. Dickson is survived by his loving wife of 45 years, Vivian, his daughters: Lesley Silk of Silver Spring, MD and Alison Jones (Gavin) of East Sandwich, MA, his son James of Newburyport MA, and his sister-in-law Patricia Hoffman and her son Joshua. In addition he is survived by six grandchildren: James Silk, John Silk , Sarah Silk, Brian Jones, Gavin Jones, and Christopher Jones and three great grandchildren. He will be deeply missed by family, friends, and all who knew him.