Paul Dudley White Society

The Paul Dudley White Society provides a unique forum for alumni and fellows to stay connected with the Cardiology Division at the Massachusetts General Hospital.

A Unique Alumni Association

All current fellows and full time faculty members within the Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital are also members of the Paul Dudley White Society, an alumni association and valued tradition at the hospital.

Past Cardiology Division staff members and trainees who have spent a year within Mass General’s cardiac clinical or research fellowships are members of the Paul Dudley White Society. Through society events, fellows meet alumni of the Mass General cardiac fellowship program, many of whom are leaders in cardiology both nationally and internationally.

Inspiring Fellows to be Leaders in their Fields

The objective of the Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship is to train fellows to shape the future of cardiac medicine though their leadership in clinical care, scientific investigation and education. The Paul Dudley White Society helps meet this objective by introducing fellows to their predecessors who have made significant contributions to cardiovascular medicine and public health.

History of the Society

Paul Dudley White is widely recognized as the father of cardiology in the United States, and in 1916, he founded the Cardiac Unit (later named Cardiology Division) at Massachusetts General Hospital. He also brought the first electrocardiogram (ECG) to the United States, helped found the American Heart Association, and dedicated his life’s work to preventive heart medicine.

To honor Dr. White’s legacy, J. Willis Hurst, M.D. and E. Grey Dimond, MD, both of whom trained as fellows under Dr. White, suggested that a society be formed of present and former trainees in the Cardiology Division, and that it be named after Dr. White. Dr. Edgar Haber, the chief of the Cardiology Division at the time, embraced the idea, and the Paul Dudley White Society was founded in 1970. The goal was to provide a forum for a periodic reunion of physicians and scientists who had trained in Mass General’s cardiology program.

Giving Back to the Fellowship Program

Since 1970, the Paul Dudley White Society has made significant contributions to Mass General’s fellowship program, including:

• Offering a reunion every three years, where alumni and fellows participate in a scientific session and evening dinner
• Providing fellows with invaluable experiences, including meeting alumni who are leaders in cardiology, medicine, research and education
• Providing an endowment to create new educational opportunities for cardiac fellows at Mass General
• Establishing professional networking opportunities