Jeane Porter Hester (June 15, 1929 – December 24, 2018) was an American physician known for her work in cancer research and therapy.Bayless, Glen
"Mentors Urged her to Try Medical Career,"
''The Oklahoman'', October 18, 1987. Accessed May 25, 2016. She was a Professor of Medicine, Chief of Supportive Therapy, and Chief of Leukapheresis at

University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (colloquially MD Anderson Cancer Center) is a comprehensive cancer center in Houston, Texas. It is the largest cancer center in the U.S. and one of the original three comprehensive cancer centers ...

in Houston, Texas,"Texas Women's Hall of Fame: Hester, Jeane Porter,"
, ''Texas Women's University,'' updated May 9, 2016. Accessed May 25, 2016. and was one of the developers of

IBM 2997 The earliest roots of IBM's development of the IBM 2997 Blood cell Separator lay in the personal tragedy of one of IBM's development engineers, George Judson. In 1962, Judson's son, Tom, was diagnosed with leukemia. His physician was able to have ...

, the computerized blood cell separator.Hester, Jeane P. and Gail Rock
"Cohn de Laval Award Lectureship: The Science Behind the Success Development of a Continuous Flow Blood Cell Separator,"
''Transfusion and Apheresis Science'', Volume 52, Issue 1 (February 2015), Pages 2–7. She was inducted into the

Texas Women's Hall of Fame The Texas Women's Hall of Fame was established in 1984 by the Governor's Commission on Women. The honorees are selected biennially from submissions from the public. The honorees must be either native Texans, or a resident of Texas at the time of th ...

in 1984 and the

Oklahoma Hall of Fame The Oklahoma Hall of Fame was founded in 1927 by Anna B. Korn to officially celebrate Statehood Day, recognize Oklahomans dedicated to their communities, and provide educational programming for all ages. The first Oklahoma Hall of Fame Induction Cer ...

in 1987."Hester, Jeane Porter,"
''Oklahoma Hall of Fame'', Accessed May 25, 2016.

Early life

Jeane Porter was born on June 15, 1929, in Big Spring, Texas.Brown, Kelly
"Hester, Jeane Porter (1929-)"
''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture'' Oklahoma Historical Society. Accessed May 25, 2016. She grew up in

Chickasha, Oklahoma Chickasha is a city in and the county seat of Grady County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 16,036 at the 2010 census. Chickasha is home to the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma. The city is named for and strongly connecte ...

. After graduating from Chickasha High School, she attended Oklahoma College for Women in Chickasha, where she majored in French and minored in history and philosophy."Dr. Jeane Porter Hester Scholarship,"
''University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma''. Accessed May 25, 2016.

Medical career

After graduating, she worked for a medical doctor in Chickasha and then as a secretary for an ophthalmologist in Oklahoma City, Dr. Welborn Sanger. Sanger, recognizing her potential talent in the medical field, promoted her to surgical assistant. Sanger encouraged her to complete a medical degree, so she studied in the pre-medical program at

Oklahoma City University Oklahoma City University (OCU) is a private university historically affiliated with the United Methodist Church and located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The university offers undergraduate bachelor's degrees, graduate master's degrees and docto ...

, graduating in 1963. She was admitted to the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine, from which she graduated in 1967. In 1971, she completed a residency in hematology and oncology, and from 1971 to 1973, she was a fellow in oncology at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Hester then became an assistant professor at MD Anderson, where she worked in cancer hematology research. She rose to the rank of professor and became Chief of Supportive Therapy and Chief of Leukapheresis service. Through the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute she worked as an exchange scientist to the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

. Hester was one of the developers of

, the computerized blood cell separator. The separator is "used in diagnosing red and white blood cells and platelets and the enhancement of cells to combat tumors." Hester served on the editorial boards of the Journal of Clinical Apheresis, the Journal of the American Medical Association, and Plasma Therapy and Transfusion Technology. She has contributed to over 25 books and over 125 other writings.

Personal life and death

Jeane Porter married Bob Hester in 1951, and their son Steven was born in 1953. Jeane Porter Hester died in Galveston, Texas on December 24, 2018, at the age of 89.

Awards

Hester was a member of the Oklahoma College for Women Hall of Fame, the

, and the

. She was a recipient of the Cohn de Laval Award for great scientific contributions to

apheresis Apheresis ( ἀφαίρεσις (''aphairesis'', "a taking away")) is a medical technology in which the blood of a person is passed through an apparatus that separates out one particular constituent and returns the remainder to the circulation ...

."Awards: Cohn De laval Award,"
''World Apheresis Association''. Accessed May 25, 2016.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hester, Jeane Porter 1929 births 2018 deaths People from Chickasha, Oklahoma People from Big Spring, Texas University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma alumni Oklahoma City University alumni University of Oklahoma alumni 20th-century women scientists American oncologists Women oncologists University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center faculty Cancer researchers