Dr. John Mann Beal, Jr.

John Mann Beal, Jr., M.D. of Valdosta, died Monday, June 3, 2013, at South Georgia Medical Center. Born in Starkville, Mississippi, on November 18, 1915, son of John Mann Beal and Anna McBee Beal. At the age of 13, he moved to Chicago when his father was appointed Professor of Botany at the University of Chicago. He attended the University of Chicago High School, College and Medical School, receiving his M.D. in 1941.
He was appointed surgical intern at The New York Hospital-Cornell University Medical Center in New York City, July 1, 1941 and served on the resident staff until June 30, 1943. He married Mary Phemister of Chicago, Illinois, February 20, 1943. In July, he was inducted in the United States Military service where he served as a surgeon in evacuation hospitals in the U.S. 7th Army until his discharge as a Major on September 26, 1946.
Dr. Beal returned to the resident staff of The New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center October 1, 1946 and completed his training as Chief Surgical Resident in 1948. After six months as a surgical fellow, he was recruited by Dr. William P. Longmire, Jr. as Assistant Professor of Surgery in the initial faculty of the recently formed U.C. L. A. Medical School in Los Angeles. In 1950 he was appointed Chief Surgeon at Wadsworth General V. A. Hospital, the U.C. L. A. teaching hospital at that time. It was during this time that he and Dr. Longmire developed the procedure of interposition of a segment of jejunum between the esophagus and duodenum to replace the stomach for a total gastrectomy.
In 1953, he accepted an appointment to The New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center as Attending Surgeon, The New York Hospital and Associate Professor of Clinical Surgery, Cornell University Medical College, positions that he held until 1963.
In 1963 he assumed the positions of Chairman of the Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Medical School, Chief, Division of Surgery, Passavant Memorial Hospital, and Chairman, Department of Surgery, Chicago Wesley Memorial Hospital. He also served as Consultant in Surgery, Veterans Administration Lakeside Hospital, Chicago. Dr. Beal was instrumental in the union of Passavant Memorial Hospital and Chicago Wesley Memorial in 1973 to form the Northwestern Memorial Hospital. He was a strong supporter of the development of the formation of the Northwestern Medical Center which incorporated the Evanston Hospital, Evanston, Illinois and the Chicago Children's Memorial Hospital with Passant and Wesley.
Dr. Beal participated in a number of medical organizations. He was certified by the American Board of Surgery in 1950, and in 1965, he was appointed as a member of the American Board of Surgery and served as Chairman of the Board 1970-1971. He was President of the Central Surgical Association 1972-1973. He was appointed to the Board of Regents of the American College of Surgeons in 1974 and served as Chairman of the Board from 1980-1982. He was elected President of the American College of Surgeons 1982-1983. He served on the editorial boards of the American Medical Association Archives of Surgery, the New York State Journal of Medicine and the American Journal of Surgery.
At Northwestern University, Dr. Beal was appointed J. Roscoe Miller Distinguished Professor 1981-1984. He received the Distinguished Service Award from the University of Chicago in 1975. He was elected President of the Chicago Surgical Society 1978-1979 and served as Chairman of Surgery B Study Section of the National Institutes of Health 1976-1978. He was appointed to the Council of Medical Specialty Societies in 1977 where he served as Treasurer 1977-78, Secretary 1979-80 and Vice President 1981-82.
Dr. Beal held memberships in the Society of University Surgeons, the Society of Clinical Surgeons, the American Medical Association, The American Surgical Association, the Pan American Medical Associations, the Chicago Medical Society, the Western Surgical Association, the Illinois Surgical Society, the Societe Inernationale de Chirurgie, the Institute of Medicine of Chicago, the Southern Surgical Association, and served on the Residency Review Committee for Surgery from 1972-1978. He had 190 scientific publications.
Dr. Beal retired in 1984. He had made his home in Valdosta for the past 18 years. He was a member of First United Methodist Church in Valdosta.
Survivors are a son and daughter in law, Bruce and Leslie Beal of Valdosta, daughter and son in law, Margaret and Jeffery Loeb of St. Louis, Missouri, son, John Beal III of Chicago, Illinois; grandchildren, Dallas Beal and Elijah Beal of Valdosta, Leslie and Joseph Loeb of St. Louis, Missouri. The family would like to express our sincere appreciation to Mary Rhym, Teena Gamel, Rita Donaldson, Gloria Thomas and the other caregivers from Home Instead for their dedicated care of our father.
Memorial services will be held at a later date in Chicago. Carson McLane Funeral Home is in charge of local arrangements. Memorial contributions may be made to the First United Methodist Church of Valdosta. Condolences may be conveyed online at www.mclanecares.com.








Funeral Home:
Carson McLane Funeral Home
2215 North Patterson Street
Valdosta, GA
US 31602