# James Edwin Thompson

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**James Edwin Thompson** (May 21, 1863 – April 9, 1927) was an English-born surgeon who spent much of his life in the United States. He was the first vice-president and a founding member of the [American College of Surgeons](/source/American_College_of_Surgeons). He served as the inaugural chairman for the Department of Surgery at the [University of Texas Medical Branch](/source/University_of_Texas_Medical_Branch) in [Galveston, Texas](/source/Galveston,_Texas).

## Early life and education

Thompson was born May 21, 1863, in [Norwich](/source/Norwich), England, to John and Mary () Thompson.[1]

Thompson attended the [Witton Grammar School](/source/Witton_Grammar_School),[1] [Owens College](/source/Owens_College) (receiving the Bradley and Dumville Scholarships),[2] Manchester School of Medicine, and [University of London](/source/University_of_London), receiving bachelor's degree in medicine and surgery from the latter. He also received an honorary degree from [Baylor University](/source/Baylor_University) in 1925.[1] During his studies, between 1886 and 1887, he was President of the Medical Students' Debating Society.[2]

## Career

Thompson became a member of the [Royal College of Surgeons](/source/Royal_College_of_Surgeons) on the 23rd of July, 1886, and a fellow on the 13th of June, 1889.[2]

Thompson moved to [Galveston, Texas](/source/Galveston,_Texas), in 1891 and served as the University of Texas Medical Branch's inaugural Chairman of Surgery, holding the position until his death in 1927.[1] He worked as a surgeon at [John Sealy Hospital](/source/John_Sealy_Hospital).[3]

Thompson aided in founding the American College of Surgeons and became the organization's first vice president in 1913.[4] Two years later, he helped found the Texas Surgical Society.[4] He served as president for the Texas Surgical Society (1915–1916)[5] and Southern Surgical Association (1919),[6] as well as the [American Surgical Association](/source/American_Surgical_Association)'s first vice president (1922).[1][7] He is also credited with bringing modern surgery to Texas[1]

He published over 75 publications on various surgical topics including [Anal fistula](/source/Anal_fistula), [appendicitis](/source/Appendicitis), [cleft palate](/source/Cleft_lip_and_cleft_palate), face and neck tumors, and [hepatic cancer](/source/Hepatocellular_carcinoma).[8] His [plastic surgery](/source/Plastic_surgery) techniques for cleft lip and palate were considered state of the art at the time.[4]

## Selected publications

- "Intestinal Obstruction due to Meckel's Diverticulum."[9]

- "Conservatism in the Treatment of Tubercular Joint Disease."[10]

- "Anatomical Routes of Approach to the Long Bones of the Extremities."[11]

- "The Simplification of Technique in Operations for Hare-Lip and Cleft Palate"[12]

- "An Anatomical and Experimental Study of Sacral Anæsthesia"[13]

## Personal life

Thompson was married to Eleanor Waters Roeck on May 16, 1896 and together they had eight children: four daughters and four sons. All four of his sons became doctors.[1]

Thompson died in [Galveston, Texas](/source/Galveston,_Texas), on April 9, 1927.[1]

## References

1. Burns, Chester R. (1995-08-01). ["Thompson, James Edwin"](https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/thompson-james-edwin). *[Texas State Historical Association](/source/Texas_State_Historical_Association)*. [University of Texas at Austin](/source/University_of_Texas_at_Austin). Retrieved 2025-03-22.

1. ["Thompson, James Edwin ( – 1927)"](https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/lives/search/detailnonmodal/ent:$002f$002fSD_ASSET$002f0$002fSD_ASSET:375440/one?qu=%22rcs%3A+E003257%22&rt=false%7C%7C%7CIDENTIFIER%7C%7C%7CResource+Identifier). *Royal College of Surgeons England*. 19 December 2012. Retrieved 7 June 2025.

1. [*Year Book*](https://books.google.com/books?id=2IQ3AQAAMAAJ). American College of Surgeons. 1913. p. 175. Retrieved 11 June 2025.

1. ["James Edwin Thompson Surgical Papers"](https://texashistory.unt.edu/explore/collections/JAMES/). *The Portal to Texas History*. March 13, 2025. Retrieved 2025-03-21.

1. ["History of Texas Surgical Society"](https://www.texassurgical.org/about-tss/history/). *Texas Surgical Society*. 20 June 2024. Retrieved 2025-03-21.

1. ["About Southern Surgical Association"](https://southernsurg.org/about/). *Southern Surgical Association*. 2025. Retrieved 7 June 2025.

1. ["ASA – Past Officers"](https://americansurgical.org/transactions/Leadership/Past-Officers/#year1920). *American Surgical Association*. Retrieved 25 March 2025.

1. ["James Edwin Thompson Papers"](https://www.utmb.edu/ar/moody-medical-library/blocker/digital-collections/portal-to-tx-history-thompson). *www.utmb.edu*. utmb Health. Retrieved 10 June 2025.

1. Thompson, James E. (1898). "V. Intestinal Obstruction caused by Meckel's Diverticulum". *Annals of Surgery*. **27** (4): 448–458. [ISSN 0003-4932](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0003-4932). [PMC 1426832](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1426832). [PMID 17860566](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17860566)

1. Thompson, James E. (1894). ["CONSERVATISM IN THE TREATMENT OF TUBERCULAR JOINT DISEASE.Read in the Section on Surgery and Anatomy, at the Forty-fifth Annual Meeting of the American Medical Association, held at Sau Francisco, June 5–8, 1894"](https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/448374). *Journal of the American Medical Association*. **XXIII** (1): 10–13. [doi:10.1001/jama.1894.02421060028001e](https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.1894.02421060028001e). Retrieved 7 June 2025.

1. Thompson, James E (1918). "Anatomical Methods of Approach in Operations on the Long Bones of the Extremities". *Annals of Surgery*. **68** (September): 309–329. [doi:10.1097/00000658-191809000-00012](https://doi.org/10.1097/00000658-191809000-00012). [PMC 1427041](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1427041). [PMID 17863988](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17863988)

1. Thompson, James E (1921). "Anatomical Methods of Approach in Operations on the Long Bones of the Extremities". *Annals of Surgery*. **68** (3): 394–425. [doi:10.1097/00000658-191809000-00012](https://doi.org/10.1097/00000658-191809000-00012). [PMC 1399722](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1399722). [PMID 17863988](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17863988)

1. Thompson, James (December 1917). "AN ANATOMICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF SACRAL ANÆSTHESIA". *Annals of Surgery*. **66** (6): 718–727. [doi:10.1097/00000658-191712000-00012](https://doi.org/10.1097/00000658-191712000-00012). [PMC 1426636](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1426636). [PMID 17863832](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17863832)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [James Edwin Thompson](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Edwin_Thompson) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Edwin_Thompson?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.