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Jack Penn

1909 – 1996

South African Reconstructive Surgeon and Artist

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About Jack Penn

Lived 1909 – 1996 (aged 87). Jack Penn was a South African sculptor and surgeon.

Jack Penn (14 August 1909 – 27 November 1996), M.B., Ch.B., F.R.C.S.(E.), Mil. Dec. M.B.E., S.M., was a plastic and reconstructive surgeon, sculptor and author, who was also for a time a member of the President's Council in South Africa.

Early years

Penn was born in Cape Town in 1909, the youngest of 7 children. After World War I, the family moved to Johannesburg, where he was educated at Parktown Boys' High School and the University of the Witwatersrand. Returning to South Africa, he founded and was commander in charge of the Brenthurst Military Hospital. Severely damaged by fire in 1944, Brenthurst was restored and returned to its owner, Sir Ernest Oppenheimer.

Penn was also responsible for the first academic journal of plastic surgery in the English language, the Brenthurst Papers, and he authored many professional papers, editorials and book chapters in this field.

Jack Penn wrote a number of books, mainly of a philosophical nature, which include his Letters to my Son (1975) – letters that were addressed to his son John who, like himself, became a plastic and reconstructive surgeon and served as president of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery; The Right to Look Human: an autobiography (1974); Reflections on Life (1980); and To think is to live (nd).

Penn died on 27 November 1996, aged 87 years.

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Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Nationality
Education
Parktown Boys' High School
Employers
University of California, Los Angeles, Harvard University, University of Michigan, University of Pennsylvania
Awards
Member of the Order of the British Empire

People in Jack Penn's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Jack Penn's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Jack Penn?

South African Reconstructive Surgeon and Artist

When was Jack Penn born?

Jack Penn was born on 14 August 1909 in Cape Town.

When did Jack Penn die?

Jack Penn died on 27 November 1996.

What was Jack Penn's occupation?

Jack Penn was a sculptor and surgeon.

What nationality was Jack Penn?

Jack Penn was South African.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Jack Penn

· Wikidata: Q6114564

· DBpedia: Jack Penn

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Jack Penn. https://biography.guide/jack-penn/

MLA: "Jack Penn." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/jack-penn/.

Chicago: "Jack Penn." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/jack-penn/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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