Joseph J. Kinyoun
Encyclopedia
Joseph James Kinyoun MD (November 25, 1860-February 14, 1919) was founder and first director 1887-1899 of the United States' Hygienic Laboratory, the predecessor of the National Institutes of Health
.
, the oldest of five children born to Elizabeth Ann Conrad and John Hendricks Kinyoun. The family moved to Johnson County, Missouri
, in 1866, where the elder Kinyoun was a physician.
Kinyoun was educated at St. Louis Medical College
and graduated from Bellevue Medical College
in 1882. He did postdoctoral studies in pathology and bacteriology at the Carnegie Laboratory and in Europe under Robert Koch
. He was awarded a Ph.D. from Georgetown University
in 1896.
as an assistant surgeon, taking over direction of the Laboratory of Hygiene in 1887. When the Surgeon General moved the laboratory from Staten Island to Washington, DC in 1891, Kinyoun moved as well.
In 1899, he became head of the Marine Hospital Service in San Francisco. He resigned that position in 1901 after allegations his findings of a bubonic plague outbreak were scaremongering prior to being proven correct by additional testing. Kinyoun's later career was spent in private companies and as a professor of bacteriology and pathology at George Washington University
before becoming a bacteriologist for the District of Columbia Health Department, a position he held until his death. In 1909, Dr. Kinyoun served as president of the American Society for Microbiology
.
' Joseph J. Kinyoun Memorial Lecture is named in his honor.
National Institutes of Health
The National Institutes of Health are an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services and are the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and health-related research. Its science and engineering counterpart is the National Science Foundation...
.
Early life
Joseph James Kinyoun was born November 25, 1860 in East Bend, North CarolinaEast Bend, North Carolina
East Bend is a town in northeastern Yadkin County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 659 at the 2000 census. It is a Piedmont Triad community.-Geography:East Bend is located at ....
, the oldest of five children born to Elizabeth Ann Conrad and John Hendricks Kinyoun. The family moved to Johnson County, Missouri
Johnson County, Missouri
Johnson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. As of 2010, the population was 52,595. Its county seat is Warrensburg. The county was formed 13 December 1834 from Lafayette County and was named for Vice President Richard M...
, in 1866, where the elder Kinyoun was a physician.
Kinyoun was educated at St. Louis Medical College
Washington University School of Medicine
Washington University School of Medicine , located in St. Louis, Missouri, is one of the graduate schools of Washington University in St. Louis. One of the top medical schools in the United States, it is currently ranked 4th for research according to U.S. News and World Report and has been listed...
and graduated from Bellevue Medical College
New York University School of Medicine
The New York University School of Medicine is one of the graduate schools of New York University. Founded in 1841 as the University Medical College, the NYU School of Medicine is one of the foremost medical schools in the United States....
in 1882. He did postdoctoral studies in pathology and bacteriology at the Carnegie Laboratory and in Europe under Robert Koch
Robert Koch
Heinrich Hermann Robert Koch was a German physician. He became famous for isolating Bacillus anthracis , the Tuberculosis bacillus and the Vibrio cholerae and for his development of Koch's postulates....
. He was awarded a Ph.D. from Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
in 1896.
Career
Dr. Kinyoun began his career in the Marine Hospital ServiceMarine Hospital Service
The Marine-Hospital Service was an organization of Marine Hospitals dedicated to the care of ill and disabled seamen in the U.S. Merchant Marine, U.S. Coast Guard and other federal beneficiaries....
as an assistant surgeon, taking over direction of the Laboratory of Hygiene in 1887. When the Surgeon General moved the laboratory from Staten Island to Washington, DC in 1891, Kinyoun moved as well.
In 1899, he became head of the Marine Hospital Service in San Francisco. He resigned that position in 1901 after allegations his findings of a bubonic plague outbreak were scaremongering prior to being proven correct by additional testing. Kinyoun's later career was spent in private companies and as a professor of bacteriology and pathology at George Washington University
George Washington University
The George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...
before becoming a bacteriologist for the District of Columbia Health Department, a position he held until his death. In 1909, Dr. Kinyoun served as president of the American Society for Microbiology
American Society for Microbiology
The American Society for Microbiology is a professional organization for scientists who study viruses, bacteria, fungi, algae, and protozoa as well as other aspects of microbiology. Microbiology is the study of organisms too small to be seen with the naked eye and which must be viewed with a...
.
Marriage and children
James and Susan Elizabeth "Lizzie" Perry married in 1883. The couple had at least four children: Joseph Perry Kinyoun; Alice Kinyoun Houts; Conrad Kinyoun; and John Nathan Kinyoun.Awards
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious DiseasesNational Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases is one of the 27 institutes and centers that make up the National Institutes of Health , an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services...
' Joseph J. Kinyoun Memorial Lecture is named in his honor.
External links
- http://www.nih.gov/about/almanac/historical/directors.htm#kinyoun
- http://the-scientist.com/2011/05/28/one-man-nih-1887/