Gordon Samuel Fahrni, (April 13, 1887 – November 3, 1995) a recipient of the

Order of Canada The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the ...

, was a Canadian physician and a leader in the Canadian Medical community. He served as president of the

Canadian Medical Association The Canadian Medical Association (CMA; french: Association médicale canadienne, AMC) is a national, voluntary association of physicians and medical learners that advocates on national health matters. Its primary mandate is to drive positive ch ...

from 1941 to 1942. An expert on goitre surgery he was a founder of the American Goitre Association. He was a medical practitioner for 54 years, dying at age 108.

Early years

Fahrni was one of six children born in

Gladstone, Manitoba Gladstone is an unincorporated urban community in the Municipality of WestLake – Gladstone within the Canadian province of Manitoba that held town status prior to January 1, 2015. It is located on the Yellowhead Highway at the intersection with ...

t
Christian Fahrni
and Priscilla Hyndman.

Biography

Gordon Fahrni graduated from the University of Manitoba in 1911 and ultimately became one of the leaders in the Canadian Medical community. In 1921 he helped to organize a campaign to save the debt-ridden Canadian Medical Association, then served as president of the

from 1941 to 1942. Fahrni was also the founder of the American Goitre Association, and became its president in 1928. He was acknowledged as an expert on goitre surgery in

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, and was also well known as a military physician. He was instrumental in the establishment of the Medical Procurement and Assignment Board for the Royal Canadian Military which helped balance medical services for servicemen abroad and civilians at home. Fahrni retired from the medical practice in 1965 after being a medical practitioner for 54 years. In 1976, Queenston House published Gordon's autobiography, "Prairie Surgeon".

Personal life and legacy

Gordon Fahrni was an avid outdoorsman and golfer. On his

100th birthday A centenarian is a person who has reached the age of 100 years. Because life expectancies worldwide are below 100 years, the term is invariably associated with longevity. In 2012, the United Nations estimated that there were 316,600 living cent ...

, he was featured in the ''Score'' golf magazine. When he died in 1995 at the age of 108, Fahrni was

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's longest-lived physician. Fahrni was part of a family that produced other accomplished physicians: his son, Dr. Gordon Fahrni of Winnipeg and nephews, Dr. Brock Fahrni and Dr. Harry Fahrni. Founding director of UBC's School of Rehabilitation, Dr. Brock Fahrni was a specialist in internal medicine and a pioneer in gerontology research. Orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Walter Harrison Fahrni, (Dr. W. H. Fahrni) pioneered a non-surgical approach for the treatment of dislocated discs.

References

External links

* CMA
interview with Dr. Gordon Fahrni by Brian Bérubé
1887 births 1995 deaths Canadian centenarians Men centenarians Canadian military doctors Members of the Order of Canada Canadian surgeons 20th-century surgeons {{Canada-scientist-stub