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{{Short description|American physician (1921–2007)}}
{{Infobox scientist
| name = John P. McGovern
| image = John P. McGovern.jpg
| image_size =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1921|6|2}}
| birth_place = [[Washington, D.C.]]
| death_date = {{death date and age|2007|5|31|1921|6|2}}
| death_place = [[Galveston, Texas]]
| citizenship =
| nationality = [[United States|American]]
| ethnicity =
| field = [[Allergy]], [[immunology]]
| work_institutions =
| alma_mater =
| doctoral_advisor =
| doctoral_students =
| known_for = Co-founding [[American Osler Society]]
| author_abbrev_bot =
| author_abbrev_zoo =
| influences =
| influenced =
| prizes =
| footnotes =
| signature =
}}

'''John P. McGovern''' (June 2, 1921 - May 31, 2007) was an American [[allergist]], [[investor]] and [[philanthropist]]. He established the McGovern Allergy Clinic in [[Houston, Texas]], created the Texas Allergy Research Foundation<ref name="TMC-obit">{{cite news |work=Texas Medical Center News |date=15 June 2007 |author=Ronda Wendler |url=http://www.texmedctr.tmc.edu/root/en/TMCServices/News/2007/06-15/John+P+McGovern+Balanced+Science+Art.htm |title=John P. McGovern Balanced Science of Medicine with Art of Compassion |accessdate=22 Feb 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100702191248/http://www.texmedctr.tmc.edu/root/en/TMCServices/News/2007/06-15/John+P+McGovern+Balanced+Science+Art.htm |archive-date=2 July 2010 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}</ref> and the John P. McGovern Foundation, and co-founded the [[American Osler Society]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.americanosler.org|title=American Osler - Home|publisher=}}</ref><ref name="UTMB">{{cite web |title=John P. McGovern Academy of Oslerian Medicine |url=http://www.utmb.edu/Osler/About/About-McGovern.aspx |accessdate=22 Feb 2009 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081201094525/http://www.utmb.edu/Osler/About/About-McGovern.aspx |archivedate=2008-12-01 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.americanosler.org/a_brief_history_of_the_clubs.htm |title=American Osler Society: A Brief History of the Clubs |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080616000725/http://www.americanosler.org/a_brief_history_of_the_clubs.htm |archivedate=2008-06-16 }}</ref> He is the name sake of the '''John P. and Katherine G. [[McGovern Medical School]]'''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://med.uth.edu/mcgovern-info/|title=John P. McGovern Foundation Renames McGovern Medical School - McGovern Medical School|website=med.uth.edu|access-date=2020-04-23}}</ref>

==Education==
He received his B.S. in Medicine from [[Duke University]] in 1943 and received his M.D. from the Duke University School of Medicine in 1945.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://mcgovern.library.tmc.edu/people/mcgov/cv/cveducation.htm |title=John P. McGovern Historical Collections and Research Center: Education |accessdate=22 Feb 2009 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20120710135350/http://mcgovern.library.tmc.edu/people/mcgov/cv/cveducation.htm |archivedate=2012-07-10 }}</ref>

He did post-graduate training at [[Yale-New Haven Hospital]], [[McGuire Hospital]] and at Duke.<ref name="SigmaXi">{{cite web |url=http://www.sigmaxi.org/programs/prizes/mcgovern.shtml |accessdate=22 Feb 2009 |title=Sigma Xi: The Scientific Research Society: The John P. McGovern Science and Society Award}}</ref>

At Yale-New Haven Hospital, he was a pediatric intern from July 1945 to June 1946.<ref name="TMC-CV-postgrad">{{cite web |url=http://mcgovern.library.tmc.edu/people/mcgov/cv/cvpostgrad.htm |title=Curriculum Vita: Post-Graduate Training and Military Service |accessdate=22 Feb 2009 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20121215103946/http://mcgovern.library.tmc.edu/people/mcgov/cv/cvpostgrad.htm |archivedate=2012-12-15 }}</ref> Then, he served from 1946 to 1948 in the [[Medical Corps (United States Army)|Medical Corps]] of the [[United States Army]] as [[Captain (land and air)|Captain]] and as the chief of the [[paraplegic]] section.<ref name="TMC-CV-postgrad"/>

He was an assistant resident at Duke for 6 months.<ref name="TMC-CV-postgrad"/> He then spent the first half of 1949 in a pediatric fellowship at [[Necker-Enfants Malades Hospital|L'Hôpital des Enfants Malades]] ([[Paris]]) and at [[Guy's Hospital]] and [[Great Ormond Street Hospital]] (both in [[London]]).<ref name="TMC-CV-postgrad"/> Next, he served as assistant chief, then chief resident for another year and a half at [[Children's National Medical Center|Children's Hospital]] in [[Washington, D.C.]]<ref name="TMC-CV-postgrad"/> In 1951, he was a study of pulmonary pathology at [[Harvard Medical School]] and [[Boston Children's Hospital]].<ref name="TMC-CV-postgrad"/>

==Career==

After graduating from [[Duke University School of Medicine]], McGovern taught at [[George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences|George Washington University Medical School]] and [[Tulane University School of Medicine|Tulane Medical School]]. He held 17 professorships, received 29 honorary doctorates, and authored over 250 professional publications and books. He was also the President and Chief Elect Officer of 15 professional medical societies.<ref>{{cite web|title=Single largest gift from John P. McGovern Foundation Renames UTHealth Medical School|url=https://www.uth.edu/media/story.htm?id=39ec7534-0aae-45ed-973f-9e693adf5763|website=UTHealth|publisher=University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston|accessdate=24 November 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151125123521/https://www.uth.edu/media/story.htm?id=39ec7534-0aae-45ed-973f-9e693adf5763|archive-date=25 November 2015|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

In 1956, McGovern founded an allergy clinic in Houston known as the McGovern Allergy & Asthma Clinic. As of 2025, the clinic remains operational.<ref name="Founder">{{cite web |title=Founder of the McGovern Allergy & Asthma Clinic |url=https://mcgovernallergy.com/founder/ |access-date=April 5, 2025}}</ref>

==Philanthropy==
In 1961, McGovern established the John P. McGovern Foundation as a private philanthropy.<ref name="UTMB"/> Through the Foundation, McGovern gave millions of dollars to various local and health charities.<ref name="TMC-CV-awards">{{cite web |url=http://mcgovern.library.tmc.edu/people/mcgov/cv/cvnamed.htm |title=Curriculum Vita: Awards, Honors, Professorships and Facilities Named for Dr. McGovern |accessdate=22 Feb 2009 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20121214234305/http://mcgovern.library.tmc.edu/people/mcgov/cv/cvnamed.htm |archivedate=2012-12-14 }}</ref><ref name="UTMB2" /> As of 2003, the foundation was the 10th largest in Houston.<ref name="UTMB2" />

A lifelong admirer of [[William Osler|Sir William Osler]] and the principals of compassionate care he espoused, McGovern co-founded the [[American Osler Society]] in 1969.<ref name="UTMB2">{{cite web |url=http://www.utmb.edu/invest/mcgovern.htm |accessdate=22 Feb 2009 |title=McGovern Foundation Contributes $2.5 million to the McGovern Academy of Oslerian Medicine, Student Stipends |author=Christian Messa |date=29 Sep 2003 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081006211848/http://www.utmb.edu/invest/mcgovern.htm |archivedate=2008-10-06 }}</ref>

===Notable contributions===
[[File:McGovernMuseumHealthHouston.JPG|thumb|John P. McGovern Museum of Health and Medical Science in [[Houston, Texas]]]]

* In 1998, the foundation gave $6.5M to establish the [[McGovern-Davison Children’s Health Center]] at Duke.<ref name="NYT-06-11-2007">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/11/obituaries/11mcgovern.html?_r=2&oref=slogin |work=[[New York Times]] |title=John McGovern, 85, Allergist, Investor and Philanthropist, Dies |accessdate=22 Feb 2009 |author=Jeremy Pearce |date=11 June 2007}}</ref> The center was co-named for McGovern and his mentor, [[Wilburt Cornell Davison]].<ref name="TMC-philanthropy-center">{{cite web |url=http://mcgovern.library.tmc.edu/people/mcgov/index.htm#hig |accessdate=22 Feb 2009 |title=Philanthropy |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080513191850/http://mcgovern.library.tmc.edu/people/mcgov/index.htm#hig |archive-date=13 May 2008 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}</ref>
* In 2001, McGovern gave $5 million to the [[University of Texas Medical Branch]] (UTMB) to create endowments for 5 William Osler Scholars, forming the [[John P. McGovern Academy of Oslerian Medicine]]. The endowments award practicing faculty physicians for their commitment to teaching, practicing and emulating the principals of compassionate care.<ref name="UTMB2"/>
* In 2003, the Foundation gave $2.5M to UTMB, with $1M provided to create an endowment for a 6th Osler Scholar.<ref name="UTMB2"/>
* Various donations to [[Texas Medical Center]] for the construction of facilities, a commons area and gardens.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://philanthropy.com/news/philanthropytoday/2507/obituary-john-p-mcgovern-doctor-and-philanthropist |title=Obituary: John P. McGovern, Doctor and Philanthropist |accessdate=22 Feb 2009}}</ref>
* In November 2015, the Foundation donated $75M to bolster medical training, provide full scholarships, and support scientific discovery and innovation at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. It has been the single largest gift from the John P. McGovern Foundation. In honor of the largest gift in university history, the medical school was renamed the John P. and Kathrine G. [[McGovern Medical School]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://med.uth.edu|title=McGovern Medical School|author=McGovern Medical School|publisher=}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Single largest gift from John P. McGovern Foundation Renames UTHealth Medical School|url=https://med.uth.edu/mcgovern-info/|accessdate=23 November 2015}}</ref> The endowment will also support the school's McGovern Center for Humanities and Ethics which was established from an earlier foundation gift.<ref>{{cite web|title=$75 Million Gift Builds Endowment for U. of Texas Hospital|url=https://philanthropy.com/article/75-Million-Gift-Builds/234333|website=Philanthropy.com|date=24 November 2015 |publisher=The Chronicle of Philanthropy|accessdate=24 November 2015}}</ref>
* In January 2017, the foundation gave $20 million to the University of Houston College of the Arts to create a permanent endowment that will benefit arts students and faculty, as well as community outreach. The [[Kathrine G. McGovern College of the Arts]] will be the first college at the university named after a former student and also the first named after a woman.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.uh.edu|title=University of Houston|author=University of Houston|publisher=}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=UH College of the Arts Recipient of $20 Million Gift from John P. McGovern Foundation|url=http://www.uh.edu/news-events/stories/2017/January/01182017McGovernQA.php}}</ref>

==Awards==
McGovern is the recipient of 29 [[honorary degree]]s.<ref name="TMC-CV-honorary-degrees">{{cite web |url=http://mcgovern.library.tmc.edu/people/mcgov/cv/cvhonorary.htm |title=Curriculum Vita: Honorary Degrees |accessdate=22 Feb 2009 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20121214235544/http://mcgovern.library.tmc.edu/people/mcgov/cv/cvhonorary.htm |archivedate=2012-12-14 }}</ref>

McGovern was named as a fellow to various scientific and medical organizations including the [[American Association of Pediatrics]] (1952), the [[American Association of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology]] (1955, Distinguished Fellow in 1971), [[American Medical Writers Association]] (1967), [[American College of Physicians]] (1971), the [[American Association for the Advancement of Science]] (1972), [[Royal College of Physicians]] (honorary, 1984) and the [[American Society of Addiction Medicine]] (1998).<ref name="TMC-CV-org">{{cite web |url=http://mcgovern.library.tmc.edu/people/mcgov/cv/cvorganiz.htm |title=Curriculum Vita: Selected Professional Organizations |accessdate=22 Feb 2009 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20121215040748/http://mcgovern.library.tmc.edu/people/mcgov/cv/cvorganiz.htm |archivedate=2012-12-15 }}</ref>

In 1976, McGovern was awarded the Distinguished Alumnus Award from Duke University.<ref name="UTMB"/>

===Other awards===
* [[American School Health Association]] Distinguished Alumnus Award and the [[William A. Howe Award]]<ref name="McGovernAllergyFounder">{{cite web |url=http://www.mcgovernallergy.com/default.aspx?p=1328800087 |title=Founder, John P. McGovern, M.D. |accessdate=22 Feb 2009 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070704164052/http://www.mcgovernallergy.com/default.aspx?p=1328800087 |archivedate=2007-07-04 }}</ref>
* [[Ronald Reagan|President Reagan]] Private Sector Initiative Commendation (1985)<ref name="McGovernAllergyFounder"/>
* The [[Harold Swanberg]] Distinguished Service Award and the Special Award for Meritorious Service from the [[American Medical Writers Association]]<ref name="McGovernAllergyFounder"/>
* [[C. Everett Koop|Surgeon General's]] Medal in 1989 for "lifetime of meritorious and multi-faceted contributions to the broad field of health promotion and disease prevention and specifically, more recently for his seminal work on our Drunk Driving Initiative".<ref name="McGovernAllergyFounder"/><ref name="TMC-Service-Activity">{{cite web |url=http://mcgovern.library.tmc.edu/people/mcgov/index.htm#ser |title=Service Activity |accessdate=22 Feb 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080513191850/http://mcgovern.library.tmc.edu/people/mcgov/index.htm#ser |archive-date=13 May 2008 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}</ref>
* Distinguished Service Award from the [[International Council on Alcohol and Addictions (ICAA)]]<ref name="McGovernAllergyFounder"/>
* Royal [[Order of the Polar Star]] ([[Sweden]]) in 1988<ref name="TMC-Service-Activity"/><ref name="TMC-foreign-award">{{cite web |url=http://mcgovern.library.tmc.edu/people/mcgov/cv/cvforeign.htm |title=Curriculum Vita: Foreign Awards and Decorations |accessdate=22 Feb 2009 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20121215042216/http://mcgovern.library.tmc.edu/people/mcgov/cv/cvforeign.htm |archivedate=2012-12-15 }}</ref>
* [[L'Ordre National du Merite]] (France) in 1988<ref name="TMC-Service-Activity"/><ref name="TMC-foreign-award"/>
* [[Kemal Atatürk]] Gold Medal Distinguished Service Award ([[Turkey]]) in 1989<ref name="TMC-Service-Activity"/>
* Annual Outstanding Scholarship in Health Care Award from the [[American Association of Colleges of Nurses]] in 1990<ref name="McGovernAllergyFounder"/>
* Outstanding Alumnus Award from [[Phi Beta Kappa]] in 1991<ref name="McGovernAllergyFounder"/>
* First Honorary Partner, Points of Light Campaign<ref name="McGovernAllergyFounder"/>
* Distinguished Citizen Award from the [[Rotary Club]] of Houston in 2001<ref name="TMC-Service-Activity"/>
* Houston Hall of Fame (2003)<ref name="TMC-Service-Activity"/>
* Presidents Award from the [[Texas Association of Museums]] (2003)<ref name="TMC-Service-Activity"/>
* First recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the [[American Lung Association of Texas]] (2004)<ref name="TMC-Service-Activity"/>

==Honors==
* [[John P. McGovern Award in Behavioral Sciences]] (Lecture) ([[American Association for the Advancement of Science|AAAS]]).<ref name="AAAS">{{cite web |url=http://archives.aaas.org/awards.php?a_id=16 |accessdate=22 Feb 2009 |title=About AAAS: John McGovern Lecture |archive-date=27 September 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927012448/http://archives.aaas.org/awards.php?a_id=16 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* John P. McGovern Science and Society Award, [[Sigma Xi]].<ref name="SigmaXi"/>
* John P. McGovern Centennial Award.<ref>http://push.communication.utexas.edu/conferences/prod75_009180.html{{dead link|date=April 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
* John P. McGovern Award in Science, Literature, Arts and the Humanities - Cosmos Club (Lecture).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cosmosclubfoundation.org/mcgovern.html|title=John P. McGovern Award & Recipients|publisher=|access-date=2009-02-22|archive-date=2018-09-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180917102418/http://www.cosmosclubfoundation.org/mcgovern.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* John P. McGovern Champion of Health Award.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.texmed.org/template.aspx?id=3700|title=John P. McGovern Champion of Health Award|publisher=}}</ref>
* John P. McGovern Award on Addiction and Society ([[American Society of Addiction Medicine|ASAM]]).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.asam.org/membership/asam-award-programs|title=ASAM Award Programs|website=www.asam.org|access-date=2017-09-11}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Portal|Texas|Biography|Medicine}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20100623140542/http://www.texmedctr.tmc.edu/root/en/TMCServices/JPMCommons/John+P.+McGovern+Texas+Medical+Center.htm John P. McGovern Texas Medical Center Commons]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090206231335/http://www.houstonzoo.org/McGovern/ John P. McGovern Children's Zoo] at the [[Houston Zoo]]
* [http://www.mcgovernallergy.com McGovern Allergy and Asthma Clinic]
* [https://med.uth.edu John P. and Kathrine G. McGovern Medical School]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:McGovern, John P.}}
[[Category:United States Army Medical Corps officers]]
[[Category:Duke University School of Medicine alumni]]
[[Category:1921 births]]
[[Category:2007 deaths]]
[[Category:American pediatricians]]
[[Category:20th-century American philanthropists]]
[[Category:American expatriates in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:American expatriates in France]]
[[Category:Harvard Medical School people]]
[[Category:Presidents of the American Osler Society]]

John P. McGovern - Revision history

imported>Larry Hockett: /* Career */ +clinic