Written by: Tiffany Westry
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Tinsley Harrison, M.D., is hailed as one of the most important medical figures of the 20th century. Harrison’s life and career are now the subject of a first-of-its-kind biography.
Harrison’s prominence emanates from his book, “Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine,” published in 1950. The text, reprinted 16 times and translated into 14 languages, is the most-used and best-selling internal medicine textbook in the world.
Although Harrison’s book is used worldwide and his medical career took him from Austria to Boston, his roots are in Talladega, Alabama, where he was born. Harrison was dean of three medical schools, but was longest tenured at the School of Medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Under his leadership, the School of Medicine rose from local to international distinction.
“Tinsley Harrison, M.D.” chronicles Harrison’s life and career and tells the story of medicine in the 20th century. Author James Pittman Jr., M.D., brings together six years of interviews with Harrison, leading up to his death Aug. 4, 1978. The biography, released Dec. 1, also includes interviews with Harrison’s colleagues, family and friends.
“We are honored to have Dr. Harrison’s enduring legacy be such a large part of the history of the UAB School of Medicine,” said Selwyn Vickers, M.D., senior vice president for Medicine and dean of the School of Medicine. "In Dr. Harrison’s tenure as dean, his tireless work to grow and strengthen the academic programs and faculty led the School of Medicine to prominence as an academic medical center. His unparalleled leadership is exemplified in our mission to train generations of dedicated physicians.”
Author, James A. Pittman, Jr., M.D. Photo courtesy of UAB Archives. Pittman, a friend, colleague and one-time chief resident under Harrison, studied with him in the 1950s and ’60s. Pittman, who received a medical degree from Harvard University and led a storied medical career of his own, became dean of the UAB School of Medicine in 1973 and served 19 years in the position.
Pittman worked on the biography for many years. Soon after handing over nearly 1,000 pages of manuscript to NewSouth Books in Montgomery, Alabama, his health began to decline.
Eventually he became unable to assist with editing.
A team of doctors who worked with Pittman and Harrison over the years were enlisted as proofreaders and fact-checkers. Pittman passed away Jan. 12, 2014.
“In the end, we hope that we have delivered a version of Dr. Pittman’s manuscript that does justice to his intentions, to the prodigious effort that went into research and writing, and finally, to his devotion to Tinsley R. Harrison, M.D., and to Harrison’s medical school — make that ‘Harrison’s and Pittman’s medical school,’” said Randall Williams, editor-in-chief of NewSouth Books.
A building and several programs bear Harrison’s name. The Tinsley Harrison Research Tower, the Tinsley Harrison Medicine Service, the Tinsley Harrison Internal Medicine Residency Program and the Tinsley R. Harrison Endowed Chair in Medical Resident Education are all named in his honor.