Biography

Charles Brenton Huggins was born on September 22nd, 1901, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, the elder son of Charles Edward Huggins, pharmacist, and his wife, Bessie Maria Spencer.

Charles B. Huggins attended the public schools in Halifax; Acadia University (B.A., 1920), Wolfville, N.S.; and Harvard University (M.D., 1924), Boston, Massachusetts. He then interned at the University of Michigan Hospital (1924-1926); he was Instructor in Surgery, University of Michigan (1926-1927). Since 1927 Huggins has been a member of the Faculty of the University of Chicago: Instructor in Surgery, 1927-1929; Assistant Professor, 1929-1933; Associate Professor, 1933-1936; Professor of Surgery, 1936-1962; Director, Ben May Laboratory for Cancer Research, from 1951; and William B. Ogden Distinguished Service Professor since 1962.

Charles B. Huggins married Margaret Wellman on July 29th, 1927. They have a son, Charles E. Huggins and a daughter, Emily Wellman Huggins Fine.

Charles Huggins holds the following honorary degrees: M. Sc., Yale University, 1947; D. Sc., Acadia University, 1946; Washington University, 1951; Leeds University, 1953; Torino, 1957; LL.D., Aberdeen University, 1966; Fellow, Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh, 1958; Fellow Royal College of Surgeons (hon.), 1959; Fellow, American College of Surgeons (hon.), 1963.

Among the many awards presented to him, the following may be mentioned here: Gold Medals: American Medical Association, 1936 and 1940; American Cancer Society, 1953; Rudolf Virchow Society, 1964; Charles L. Meyer Prize, National Academy of Sciences, 1943; Comfort Crookshank Prize, Middlesex Hospital, London, 1957; Cameron Prize, Edinburgh University, 1958; Valentine Prize, New York Academy of Medicine, 1962; Hunter Award, American Therapeutic Society, 1962; Laurea, University of Bologna, 1964.

Charles B. Huggins is a Member of the National Academy of Sciences and of the American Philosophical Society.

From Nobel Lectures, Physiology or Medicine 1963-1970, Elsevier Publishing Company, Amsterdam, 1972

This autobiography/biography was written at the time of the award and first published in the book series Les Prix Nobel. It was later edited and republished in Nobel Lectures. To cite this document, always state the source as shown above.

 

Charles B. Huggins died on January 12, 1997.

 

Copyright © The Nobel Foundation 1966