Ernest Sachs was a doctor. He helped people with their brains. He taught many other doctors. He was a very good teacher. He lived a long time ago. Do you want to be a doctor?
Ernest Sachs was a special kind of doctor. He worked on people's brains. He was a great teacher. He taught at a school in St. Louis. He was the first person to hold a brain doctor job there. He also studied in big cities in Europe. He even played the cello when he was young. He had a wife and three children. He lived a long and busy life. He helped many people through his work.
Ernest Sachs was a famous doctor. He was a neurosurgeon. A neurosurgeon is a doctor who works on the brain. He was born in New York City in 1879. His father was a teacher. His mother was the daughter of Marcus Goldman. Marcus Goldman started the company Goldman Sachs.
As a boy, Sachs learned to play the cello. He went to Harvard University. Later, he earned a medical degree from Johns Hopkins. He studied in many big cities. He went to Vienna, Berlin, and London. He wrote a book about the thalamus. The thalamus is a part of the brain.
In 1911, he moved to St. Louis, Missouri. He taught at Washington University. In 1919, he became the first Professor of Neurosurgery in the USA. He led many groups of doctors. Some people call him the Father of Neurosurgery. He worked with Harvey Cushing.
Sachs married Mary Parmly Koues in 1913. They had two sons. They also had a daughter named Mary. Mary died in 1927. Sachs died in 1958 in Connecticut. He spent his life helping to learn about the brain.
Ernest Sachs was a very important doctor. He was a neurosurgeon. A neurosurgeon is a doctor who treats the brain.
He helped start this field of medicine. Many people call him the Father of Neurosurgery. He earned this name alongside a man named Harvey Cushing. His work helped others learn how to help people with brain issues. He spent his whole life studying how the brain works.
Sachs followed a long path to become a doctor.
He first graduated from Harvard University in 1900. In 1904, he earned a medical degree from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. He learned from a teacher named Professor William Osler. After that, he finished a three-year residency. This training was at Mount Sinai Hospital under Arpad Gester. He finished this training in 1907. Then, he traveled to study in Vienna, Berlin, and London. He studied under Sir Victor Horsley. He even wrote a book about the thalamus, which is a part of the brain.
His career was full of big jobs and leadership.
In 1911, he moved to St. Louis, Missouri. He taught at the Washington University School of Medicine. In 1919, he became the first Professor of Neurosurgery in the USA. He was a founding member of The Society of Neurological Surgeons. He was its Secretary-Treasurer from 1920 to 1924. He also served as its president from 1925 to 1927. Later, he was the president of the American Neurological Association in 1943.
Sachs had a busy and interesting life outside of his work.
He was born in New York City on January 25, 1879. His father, Julius Sachs, was an educator. His mother, Rosa Goldman, was the daughter of Marcus Goldman. Marcus Goldman was the founder of Goldman Sachs. As a young boy, Sachs learned to play the cello. He married Mary Parmly Koues in 1913. She was a poet and a playwright. They had two sons named Ernest Sachs, Jr. and Thomas Dudley Sachs. They also had a daughter named Mary. Sadly, Mary died in 1927.
Even after he stopped teaching, Sachs remained a respected expert.
He resigned from Washington University in 1949. After that, he became a professor emeritus at the Yale School of Medicine. He was an honorary member of the Royal Society of Medicine. He was also a member of the Deutsche Akademie der Naturforscher Leopoldina. Sachs lived until 1958. He died on December 2 in New Haven, Connecticut. His life showed how much one person can teach the world about the brain.
Ernest Sachs was a highly influential American neurosurgeon. A neurosurgeon is a medical doctor who specializes in surgery on the brain and nervous system. Sachs is often called one of the "Fathers of Neurosurgery." He earned this title alongside another doctor named Harvey Cushing. His work helped turn brain surgery into a formal and organized medical field. Through his teaching and leadership, he shaped how doctors study and treat the brain today.
Sachs followed a very rigorous path to master his medical specialty.
He graduated from Harvard University in 1900. In 1904, he earned his medical degree from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. While there, he studied under Professor William Osler. After medical school, he completed a three-year residency at Mount Sinai Hospital. This period of intensive training was supervised by Arpad Gester and ended in 1907. To deepen his knowledge, he then traveled to Europe. He studied in Vienna, Berlin, and London under Sir Victor Horsley. During this time, he even wrote a specialized treatise about the thalamus. The thalamus is a vital part of the brain that helps process sensory information.
His professional career was marked by several historic milestones in American medicine.
In 1911, Sachs moved to St. Louis, Missouri. He began teaching neurosurgery at the Washington University School of Medicine. In 1919, he reached a major goal by becoming the first Professor of Neurosurgery in the United States. This was a significant moment for the medical community. It helped establish neurosurgery as a distinct and respected academic subject. His role helped set the standard for how this specialty is taught in universities.
Sachs was also a key leader in many professional medical organizations. He was a founding member of The Society of Neurological Surgeons. He served as the group's Secretary-Treasurer from 1920 to 1924. Later, he served as the president of that same society from 1925 to 1927. In 1943, he held the presidency of the American Neurological Association. He also served on the board of directors for the American Board of Neurological Surgery. These roles allowed him to help guide the entire field of neurosurgery.
His expertise was recognized by many prestigious international groups.
Sachs was named an honorary member of the Royal Society of Medicine. He was also an honorary member of the Deutsche Akademie der Naturforscher Leopoldina. These honors show that his impact reached far beyond the United States. Even after he resigned from Washington University in 1949, he remained active in academia. He became a professor emeritus at the Yale School of Medicine. This title is given to retired professors to honor their long service and expertise.
Sachs had a unique personal background and a life full of diverse interests.
He was born in New York City on January 25, 1879. His father, Julius Sachs, worked as an educator. His mother, Rosa Goldman, had a famous connection to the world of finance. She was the daughter of Marcus Goldman, the founder of Goldman Sachs. As a young child, Sachs showed an interest in music. He began learning to play the cello when he was only six years old. In 1913, he married Mary Parmly Koues, who was a poet and a playwright.
Sachs and his wife had a family consisting of two sons and one daughter. His sons were named Ernest Sachs, Jr. and Thomas Dudley Sachs. His daughter was named Mary, though she passed away in 1927.
Sachs lived until 1958. He died on December 2 in New Haven, Connecticut. His life remains a significant part of medical history. He helped build the foundation for modern brain surgery through his research, teaching, and leadership.
Where will your curiosity go next?
More to explore
✨ What else?
Related topics you might enjoy
🔬 Go deeper
More advanced topics to explore
🪜 Step back
Simpler topics to build understanding
What is Nepedia?
A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.