Franklin H. Martin, MD, FACS: From Rural Boyhood to Distinguished Surgeon

Gordon L. Telford, MD, FACS

Franklin H. Martin, MD, FACS, founder of the American College of Surgeons (ACS), grew up in a rural community in Wisconsin, where he spent his youth as a farm laborer, brick worker, janitor, handyman, and teacher before pursuing a career in medicine.

Dr. Martin also co-founded the Post-Graduate Medical School and Hospital in Chicago, founded the Journal of the American College of Surgeons and the ACS Clinical Congress, developed the Hospital Standardization Program, and served on the Advisory Commission of the Council of National Defense in preparation for World War I, among other achievements.

Examining Dr. Martin's little-examined rural youth, author Gordon L. Telford, MD, FACS, says, “This book provides insight into the impact of Dr. Franklin Martin’s early years in Wisconsin on his later accomplishments and hypothesizes that his rural upbringing helped him become a great leader. The book also describes other very accomplished surgeons and individuals who benefitted from a rural/farm upbringing.”

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