Leslie Bodnar

Leslie Mathew Bodnar (1916–2014) was a sports medicine practitioner and former physician for the Notre Dame football team.

Early life Bodnar was born in the far south side of Chicago. He was the son of Hungarian immigrants. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Illinois in 1939 and his medical degree from the University of Illinois College of Medicine in 1941 and went on to pursue his medical internship and surgical orthopedic residency at Charity Hospital in New Orleans. He served as an orthopedic surgeon in the United States Army during World War II (from 1943 – 1946) and achieved the rank of Captain before returning to finish his orthopedic residency in New Orleans. In 1972, Bodnar, along with other orthopedic surgeons, founded the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM). Bodnar served as one of the first presidents of AOSSM from 1976–1977. During his tenure as president, he helped facilitate formalization of relationships with organizations like NATA and the U.S. Olympic Committee. Bodnar also was responsible for stimulating the development of a Commission on Sports Medicine, under the Indiana State Medical Association. He was honored with the Mr. Sports Medicine Award in 1978 and is now also a member of the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine Hall of Fame.

Bodnar served on the board of Cerebral Palsy Society, American Red Cross, and the Indiana Governor’s Council on Fitness and Health. He also served on the board of the Sister Maura Brannick Health Center where he volunteered for many years. He authored two books late in life. His first book, Carnie (2010), is a memoir of the days he spent as a young teenager in the 1920s working as a part of his father's carnival. His second book, Sports Medicine, Notre Dame (2014) covers memories from this 35 years working in Sports Medicine at Notre Dame.

In 1943, Bodnar married fellow Chicagoan, Bernardine Brennan, with whom he enjoyed 56 years of marriage until her death. Bodnar died in 2014 at the age of 98. He was survived by his nine children, 24 grandchildren and 15 great grandchildren.