Harold A. Wilkinson
was born on June 17, 1935 at Wake
Forest, North Carolina into a medical
family; his father, two uncles,
two brothers and a cousin were all
physicians. He graduated from Wake
Forest College magna cum laude in
1955, then obtained both an M.D.
degree (1959), and Ph.D., in Neuroanatomy
(1962) from Duke University. He
completed first an internship in
surgery at Duke, then in 1966 completed
his Neurosurgical Residency under
Drs. Sweet, White, et al at the
Massachusetts General Hospital.
After completing his residency he
joined the Faculty of Harvard Medical
School, first at Boston City Hospital,
then at the Beth Israel Hospital.
In 1979 he transferred to the University
of Massachusetts Medical School
in Worcester, Massachusetts, where
he assumed the Chairmanship of the
Division of Neurological Surgery
and Professorships in Surgery and
in Anatomy/Cell Biology. After enlarging
the clinical base and strengthening
the academic activities, he established
a Residency Training Program in
Neurological Surgery in 1991 as
its first Training Chief.
Dr. Wilkinson has
authored two books and numerous
peer reviewed publications. He has
lectured by invitation in the United
States, Europe, the Near East and
the Far East. He holds a patent
for an ICP monitoring device and
has developed a radiofrequency thoracic
sympathectomy. His laboratory and
clinical research interests have
included ICP measurement and control,
CSF production, tumor chemotherapy,
sympathetic disorders and diagnosis
and treatment of the failed back.
Dr. Wilkinson has
been Secretary and President of
the New England Neurosurgical Society
and a member of the Board of Trustees
of the AANS. He has been a member
of and has chaired numerous committees
for the CNS and AANS and has been
active in the Trauma and Spine Sections.
He has held positions with the CDC,
FDA and the International Implant
Registry.
Dr. Wilkinson opted
for early retirement from the University
of Massachusetts Medical School
in 1998 and opened a private practice
in Wellesley, Massachusetts. He
was Chief of Neurosurgery at the
Newton Wellesley Hospital for 5
years and remains on the staff as
a member of the Partners' affiliation
with the Massachusetts General Hospital.
He remains active in teaching medical
school students and residents and
continues to present scientific
papers for publications and at meetings.
Dr. Wilkinson married
his childhood sweetheart, Alice
Speas Wilkinson, whose father was
Professor of Physics at Wake Forest
University for over 40 years. Alice
is a professional pianist, who is
on the Faculty of the Longy School
of Music and who teaches and regularly
performs solo recitals, chamber
music and concertos. They have two
sons, Edward (now deceased) and
Arthur, who have pursued non-medical
careers.
