Virginia Apgar
Personal Information
Born: 1909
Died: 1974
Country of Birth: USA
Nationality: USA
Ethnicity: White
Education
Mount Holyoke College, AB in Zoology, 1929; Columbia University of Physicians & Surgeons, MD 1933; John Hopkins School of Public Health, MPH 1959
Professional Life
Field of Study: Biomedical Engineering; Anesthesiology
Institution/Corporation: March of Dimes
Degrees & Memberships: Honorary Doctorate: Women s Medical College of Pennsylvania, 1963, Mount Holyoke College, 1965, New Jersey College of Medicine & Dentistry, 1967; Member: Fellow New York Academy of Medicine, American Public Health Association, New York Academy of Sciences
Awards & Achievements
Awards: Elizabeth Blackwell Award, American Medical Women s Association, 1966; Distinguished Service Award, American Society of Anesthologists, 1966; Alumni Gold Medal for Distinguished Achievement, Columbia University of Physicians & Surgeons, 1973; Ralph M. Waters Award, American Society of Anesthesiologists, 1973; Woman of the Year, The Ladies Home Journal, 1973; commemorative US postage stamp, 1994; National Women s Hall of Fame, 1995; New Jersey Hall of Fame, 2020
Achievements: Apgar test
1953, invented Apgar Score-a quick way to assess the health of a newborn infant to combat infant mortality
With Allen Whipple, started Columbia University's College of Physicians & Surgeons Anesthesia Division
From 1959 to 1974 worked for March of Dimes as Vice President for medical research
Promoted universal vaccination for rubella & effective use of RH testing
1st to hold a faculty position in the field of teratology (study of birth defects)
1972, with Joan Beck, wrote, "Is My Baby All Right?"
Played the violin & travelled with it, often joining in with amateur chamber quartets wherever she went