B.J. Kennedy, M.D.

1921-2003

Dr. Kennedy was Regents’ Professor of Medicine, Emeritus, Masonic Professor of Oncology, Emeritus, and a Master of the American College of Physicians. He was a Past President of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the American Association for Cancer Education.

Dr. Kennedy received his MD in 1945 from the University of Minnesota, internal medicine residency and fellowship at the Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, where he began his clinical research in the Collis P. Huntington Cancer Laboratory. He was the first clinical cancer fellow of the National Cancer Institute. As a Damon Runyon Cancer Fellow he spent two years in endocrinology at the New York Hospital in NYC and the Royal Victoria Hospital, Montreal. There he obtained a Master of Science Degree in Experimental Medicine and conducted clinical research that resulted in the cure of beryllium granulomatosis with ACTH.

Dr. Kennedy’s academic career continued since 1952 at the University of Minnesota. He pioneered the establishment in 1972 of the new subspecialty of Medical Oncology and was often referred to as the “Father” of Medical Oncology.

Dr. Kennedy’s clinical interests were the treatment of breast cancer, testis cancer, lymphomas, chronic leukemia and solid tumors. His clinical research on glioblastoma multiforme resulted in the establishment of a Chemotherapy Task Force for Brain Tumors at the National Cancer Institute.  The University of Minnesota honored him by establishing the B.J. Kennedy Chair in Clinical Medical Oncology.

Selected Publications

Kennedy BJ.  The evolution of hydroxyurea therapy in chronic myelogenous leukemia.  Semin Onc 1992; 19:  21-26.

Kennedy BJ, Bushhouse SA, Bender AP.  Minnesota population cancer risk.  Cancer 1994; 73:  724-729.

Kennedy BJ, Torkelson JL, Fraley EE.  Adjuvant chemotherapy for stage II non-seminomatous germ cell cancer of the testis.  Cancer 1994; 73:  1485-1489.

Kennedy BJ.  Aging and Cancer.  Oncology 2000;14(12):  1731-1733.

Kennedy BJ.  Medical Oncology:  Its origin, evolutions, today and future.  Cancer 1999; 84:  January.