David R. Murphy was a Montrealer who graduated from McGill with both his B.Sc. in 1939 and his M.D.C.M. in 1942. He obtained his Master’s of Science Degree in Experimental Surgery in 1949 and studied in the Diploma Course in Surgery 1946-1950 at McGill University. Dr. Murphy then participated in a travel year with visits to a number of universities with particular emphasis on Paediatric Surgery and Cardiovascular Surgery.
He was in the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps, 1942-1946, as a Captain, and served on the H.M.C.S. Lady Nelson as a surgeon and later at The Montreal Military Hospital, 1943-1945. He completed a special course in Thoracic Surgery under Dr. Fraser B. Gurd.
Dr. Murphy was an early pioneer in Cardiovascular Surgery in children and corrected defects in the developing child in the early days of this specialty. His publications include topics such as mitral stenosis, extracorporeal circulation and pulmonary stenosis. Dr. Murphy was President of the Canadian Cardiovascular Society and he succeeded Dr. Dudley Ross as Surgeon-in-Chief at The Montreal Children’s Hospital in 1954. He remained Surgeon-in-Chief until August 1974, and his many achievements include an increased emphasis on basic surgical research as well as improvements in surgical care for children in all of the surgical specialties.
Sadly, Dr. Murphy passed away in October 2007. He was married to Beatrice Norsworthy Murphy and had 5 children and many grandchildren.
Please link to the programs for the David R. Murphy Visiting Professorship Day of previous years:
15th Annual David R. Murphy Visiting Professorship at the MCH
Peter M. Waters, MD, MMSc
April 13, 2023
Program - Murphy VP 2023
14th Annual David R. Murphy Visiting Professorship at the MCH
John A. Persing, MD
April 7, 2022 Program (PDF)
13th Annual David R. Murphy Visiting Professorship at the MCH
James D. St.Louis, MD, FACC, FACS
April 1, 2021 Program (PDF)
12th Annual David R. Murphy Visiting Professorship at the MCH
Peter T. Masiakos, MS, MD, FACS, FAAP / Hon. Steven A. Baddour, Esq.
April 4, 2019 Murphy Program 2019 (PDF)
11th Annual David R. Murphy Visiting Professorship at the MCH
Damir Matic, MD, MSc, FRCS(C)
April 12, 2018 Program (PDF)
10th Annual David R. Murphy Visiting Professorship at the MCH
Pierre David Attal, MD, PhD
April 6, 2017 Program (PDF)
9th Annual David R. Murphy Visiting Professorship at the MCH
Sanjeev Sabharwal, MD, MPH
April 7, 2016 Program (PDF)
8th Annual David R. Murphy Visiting Professorship at the MCH
Eric R. Scaife, MD
March 15, 2015 Program (PDF)
7th Annual David R. Murphy Visiting Professorship at the MCH
Richard Grady, MD
March 31, 2014 Program (PDF)
6th Annual David R. Murphy Visiting Professorship at the MCH
Claes Lauritzen, MD, PhD
March 25, 2013 Program (PDF)
5th Annual David R. Murphy Visiting Professorship at the MCH
Ann-Christine Duhaime, MD
April 4, 2011 Program (PDF)
4th Annual David R. Murphy Visiting Professorship at the MCH
Michael Harrison, MD
April 12, 2010 Program (PDF)
3rd Annual David R. Murphy Visiting Professorship at the MCH
Richard C. Rink, MD
April 6, 2009 Program (PDF)
2nd Annual David R. Murphy Visiting Professorship at the MCH
Michael T. Trese, MD
April 7, 2008 Program (PDF)
1st Annual David R. Murphy Visiting Professorship at the MCH
David Alton Murphy, MD
October 3, 2005 Program (PDF)