Medical Pioneer. He was the donor in the world's first successful organ transplant. Raised on a family farm in Rutland, Massachusetts, he served in the U.S. Army and was a freshman at Worcester State Teacher's College in 1954 when he made the decision to donate one of his kidneys to his twin brother Richard who was terminally ill with chronic nephritis. After testing to determine that the brothers were indeed identical twins, the surgery was performed at Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in Boston on December 23, 1954, by Dr. Joseph Murray, who received the 1990 Nobel Prize for his work. Following the procedure, Richard lived an additional eight years while Ronald returned to college within two weeks. He spent 37 years as a high school math teacher in Massachusetts and Maine while also operating a cattle farm. He retired to Belgrade, Maine, in 1997.
Medical Pioneer. He was the donor in the world's first successful organ transplant. Raised on a family farm in Rutland, Massachusetts, he served in the U.S. Army and was a freshman at Worcester State Teacher's College in 1954 when he made the decision to donate one of his kidneys to his twin brother Richard who was terminally ill with chronic nephritis. After testing to determine that the brothers were indeed identical twins, the surgery was performed at Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in Boston on December 23, 1954, by Dr. Joseph Murray, who received the 1990 Nobel Prize for his work. Following the procedure, Richard lived an additional eight years while Ronald returned to college within two weeks. He spent 37 years as a high school math teacher in Massachusetts and Maine while also operating a cattle farm. He retired to Belgrade, Maine, in 1997.
Bio by: Bob Hufford
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