J. Willis Hurst

John Willis Hurst (October 21, 1920 – October 1, 2011) was an American physician who served as the cardiologist of former U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson. He was the editor of Hurst's the Heart, one of the most widely used medical textbooks in the world.

Throughout his career, Hurst was recognized as a leader in cardiology.

Early life and education John Willis Hurst was the only child of John Hurst and Verna Bell Hurst. He was born in Cooper, Kentucky, a community near Monticello, Kentucky, in Wayne County, Kentucky, on October 21, 1920.

Eleven months after he was born, Hurst's family moved to Carrollton, Georgia. In 1932, Hurst's father quit teaching in order to assist with the development of the Carrollton Federal Savings and Loan Association. He then enrolled at West Georgia College in Carrollton. After two years, Hurst transferred to the University of Georgia. During this time he obtained the rank of captain.

Hurst served a term as the president of the American Heart Association and a term as the president of the Association of Professors of Medicine.

Publications Throughout his career, Hurst edited over 60 books and published over 350 scientific articles.

Selected bibliography

Hurst's The Heart (first published 1966, currently in its fourteenth edition)

(first published 1983, currently in its fourth edition)

Chest Pain (2001, co-edited with Douglas C. Morris, M.D.) Tarnished (2005, cowritten with his son Philip W. Hurst) The Last Leaf has Fallen (2007) Short, Short Stories and Random Thoughts (2009) The Bald-Headed Man with Long Gray Hair: A Short Story (2010)

Honors and awards Lamartine Hardman Cup (1968) - Medical Association of Georgia Master Teacher Award (1970, 1974)- American College of Cardiology Evangeline Papageorge Teaching Award (1995) - Emory University Together, they had three sons: John W. Hurst Jr., J. Stephen Hurst, and Philip W. Hurst.