Dr. W. Gerald "Jerry" Austen

A giant in the field of heart surgery, an extraordinary leader in academic medicine, and an inspiring teacher and guide, William Gerald “Jerry” Austen, MD, died Sept. 11, at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), surrounded by his devoted family in the place he had worked, shaped and nurtured for nearly seven decades. He was 92.

Born in Akron, Ohio, Jerry was the youngest of four children of Bertha Marie “Bertl” Arnstein (nee Jehle) and Karl Arnstein, a renowned Czech-born airship engineer. Jerry attended Western Reserve Academy in Hudson, Ohio before venturing east to Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he received his undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering and then earned his medical degree from Harvard Medical School.

Jerry arrived at the MGH to begin his surgical residency in 1955, a time when the fledgling field of cardiac surgery was beginning to gain traction and offer new hope for those suffering from heart disease. With his knowledge of engineering, specifically fluid mechanics, Jerry was soon tapped to help build the hospital’s first heart-lung machine. After extensive testing, the device was used in the MGH’s inaugural open-heart procedure in 1956, a milestone event in which Jerry assumed an integral role operating the machine. This experience fueled his desire to pursue this exciting new discipline. After completing his surgical residency, Jerry spent a year training in surgery at Kings College Hospital in London and cardiothoracic surgery at the General Infirmary in Leeds, England. He also completed two years of clinical and research work at the National Heart Institute in Bethesda before returning to the MGH in 1963 to take the reins as chief of the MGH Surgical Cardiovascular Research Unit.

A gifted surgeon and innovator in the surgical treatment of many coronary artery disease complications, Jerry helped forge a strong foundation for cardiac surgery at the MGH, building what would soon become one of the world’s preeminent programs. A beloved and respected clinician, Jerry had a wonderful rapport with and great respect for his patients and their families. His reputation as an outstanding heart surgeon grew quickly as he and his team advanced the field, making open-heart surgery safer by identifying specific physiological and biochemical risks of surgery and developing techniques and approaches to prevent complications. His successful leadership of Cardiac Surgery prompted hospital officials in 1969 to appoint Jerry, then 39, as chief of Surgical Services, a position he accepted and went on to hold for nearly three decades. With Jerry’s guidance, the department expanded and became increasingly specialized, gradually evolving into the dozen surgical divisions that make up the department today.

Beyond his clinical and research accomplishments, Jerry was also widely regarded as a wise, engaged and devoted teacher and mentor. In 1966, at the age of 36, he became the youngest professor of Surgery at Harvard – advancing from instructor to professor in three years. He was named the Edward D. Churchill Professor of Surgery in 1974. Jerry’s commitment to education led the MGH’s surgical training programs to be among the most highly sought in the nation. Ever proud of the department’s dedicated trainees, Jerry maintained contact with generations of department alumni, many of whom went on to become chiefs of divisions and departments around the world.

Jerry’s influence in shaping health care in Boston was unparalleled. A consensus builder and a problem solver, he was the founding president and CEO of the Massachusetts General Physicians Organization (MGPO), now the largest multi-specialty group practice in New England. Jerry was the first MGH physician elected to the MGH Board of Trustees. He also was one of the eight founding trustees who in late 1993 and 1994 planned and implemented the affiliation of the MGH and Brigham and Women’s Hospital to create Partners HealthCare System (now Mass General Brigham).

Even after stepping down from his clinical and research roles, Jerry remained active in key positions at the MGH, Harvard, and Mass General Brigham. He continued as chairman of the MGH Chiefs Council, which includes the heads of the major MGH clinical services and centers and serves as an advisory body to MGH leadership. In addition, since 1980 he served as co-chair of the MGH Philanthropy Program, helping to raise more than $6 billion. He continued as the Edward D. Churchill Distinguished Professor of Surgery at HMS and the MGH, and he served as an honorary trustee of the boards of both the MGH and the MGPO.

The recipient of numerous awards and accolades, Jerry was a member of the National Academy of Medicine and a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He served as president of the Association for Academic Surgery, the Society of University Surgeons, the American Surgical Association, the American Heart Association, the American Association for Thoracic Surgery, and the American College of Surgeons. Other honors include the Gold Heart Award and the Paul Dudley White Heart Award of the American Heart Association, the Nathan Smith Distinguished Service Award of the New England Surgical Society, and Honorary Fellowship in the Royal College of Surgeons of England. Upon stepping down as chief of Surgery, he was presented with the MGH Trustees Medal. Harvard Medical School recognized his many accomplishments by creating the W. Gerald Austen Chair in Surgery at HMS and the MGH. Jerry was a Life Member Emeritus of the MIT Corporation (Board of Trustees) – the longest serving board member in MIT history. In addition, he served as Chairman Emeritus of the Board of Trustees of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation where he had been active for 24 years – 14 as chair – overseeing the transition from leadership by its founders to professional management as an independent entity.

In 2011 the MGH dedicated the 150-bed inpatient facility in its then-new Lunder Building as the W. Gerald Austen, MD Inpatient Care Pavilion. And in 2019, an eight-story building at the MGH was renamed the W. Gerald Austen, MD Building in honor of his six decades of extraordinary leadership and service. At the time of his death, Jerry was the longest-serving full-time doctor in the history of the MGH (67 years).

Despite decades of living and working in Massachusetts, Jerry always maintained a close relationship with his beloved hometown of Akron, visiting often and supporting and contributing to its institutions, community and culture. In 2017, the University of Akron created the W. Gerald Austen Endowed Professorship in Polymer Science and Engineering. The Austen name also graces the Akron-based Austen BioInnovation Institute, a collaboration focused on advancing innovation to enhance patient-centered health care.

An avid listener and a straight shooter, Jerry served as an advisor and mentor to countless individuals in many walks of life – from students to junior faculty to hospital presidents to CEOs. But above all, he was devoted to his family. Jerry and his wife, Patricia (nee Ramsdell) Austen, had been married for more than 60 years. They have four children, Karl and his wife, Marsha; Jay; Christopher and wife, Penny; and Elizabeth and husband, Chappell Lawson, and 10 grandchildren. Jerry is also survived by his brother K. Frank Austen, MD. He was preceded in death by his sisters Suzanne Ruth ("Sue") Johnston and Renee MacDermott.

Jerry loved his life because of his family, his friends and his work. He was content with all that he had accomplished in his long, productive and full life. The morning of the day he died, he remarked to his family, “maybe it’s finally time to retire.”

The funeral service will be private. A celebration of Jerry’s life will be planned for the fall at a time and location to be announced.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in memory of Dr. W. Gerald Austen to:

The MGH Fund at Massachusetts General Hospital:

Massachusetts General Hospital, Development Office,125 Nashua Street, Suite 540, Boston, MA 02114 www.giving.massgeneral.org

Or the Knight Building for arts transformation at The University of Akron:

The University of Akron, Department of Development, Akron, OH 44325-2603 (330) 972-7238

www.uakron.edu/giving/austen