Byrl James B.J. Kennedy papers

B.J. Kennedy was born in Plainview, Minnesota in 1921 and grew up in Rochester, Minnesota. He graduated from the University of Minnesota Medical School in 1945, performed his internship, residency, and fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital. He joined the faculty at the University of Minnesota in 1952 after earning a second bachelor's degree in experimental medicine at McGill Medical School in Montreal. He was Director of the Division of Medical Oncology from 1968 to 1991, when he retired. After his retirement, he continued to perform research in geriatric oncology until his death in 2003.

Dr. Kennedy was considered a pioneer in oncology and the "father of medical oncology". He helped found the American Society of Clinical Oncology, now an international organization. Kennedy focused much of his research on breast cancer and testicular cancer, and helped develop successful treatments for each of these diseases. In addition to research, Kennedy helped train young oncologists and made significant contributions to the field of geriatric oncology. One of Kennedy's strong beliefs was that oncology should encompass a continuum of care from prevention to detection to treatment to palliative care, and he campaigned successfully for the recognition of oncology as a subspecialty by the American Board of Medical Specialties. Kennedy was honored for his work by many organizations, including the University of Minnesota where he was named a Regents' Professor in 1988.