Renowned UMaine Graduate Bernard Lown to Give Wednesday Talk; Cardiologist Won 1985 Nobel Peace Prize

Contact: Joe Carr at (207) 581-3571

ORONO — Dr. Bernard Lown, one of the world’s leading cardiologists and a tireless advocate for world peace, will visit his alma mater for a Wednesday March 26 public talk, “On Global Activism in an Ailing World.” The University of Maine’s Honors College will present the talk, this year’s TIAA-CREF Distinguished Honors Graduate Lecture. Lown will also serve as the university’s 2008 John M. Rezendez Visiting Scholar in Ethics.

Lown, who graduated from UMaine in 1942, co-founded International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War. For his efforts with that group, he earned the 1985 Nobel Peace Prize. He also co-founded Physicians for Social Responsibility in 1960.

The Wednesday event is scheduled for 5 p.m. in Room 100 of UMaine’s Donald P. Corbett Business Building.

“Dr. Lown is among the most accomplished citizens the state of Maine has ever produced,” says Dean Charlie Slavin of UMaine’s Honors College. “We truly value his association with the University of Maine and we will be honored to host him on Wednesday. Dr. Lown’s visit will create an outstanding opportunity for our students and those in the surrounding communities to hear his unique perspectives on critical issues faced by our global society.”

In addition to his peace activism, Lown has made significant contributions in the medical realm. His innovations in cardiac care and treatment include the invention of the defibrilator, along with other breakthroughs that have helped to save untold numbers of lives. Founder of the Lown Cardiovascular Center in Cambridge, Mass., he is a professor of cardiology emeritus at the Harvard School of Public Health.

In recognition of Lown’s career and his life’s work, the UMaine Alumni Association annually presents the Bernard Lown ’42 Humanitarian Award to graduates who distinguish themselves in humanitarian service.