James Dewey Bisgard Papers

James Dewey Bisgard was born on April 17, 1898, in Harlan, Iowa, the son of Dr. James and Mary (Mortensen) Bisgard. He graduated from Harlan High School in 1916. Dr. Bisgard received his BA from the University of Nebraska in 1920. He was awarded the MD degree from Harvard in 1922. Dr. Bisgard completed his internship at Massachusetts General Hospital from 1922-1924. His residency training was at the Albert Merritt Billings Hospital in Chicago from 1930-1932; from 1932-1933, he trained at the University Hospital, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan. He was certified by the American Board of Surgery in 1937. Dr. Bisgard was a founding member of the American Board of Thoracic Surgery.

Dr. Bisgard was appointed to the University of Nebraska College of Medicine faculty as an instructor in the Department of Surgery on September 1, 1933. On May 1, 1938, he was promoted to Assistant Professor of Surgery, and on July 1, 1945, he became Associate Professor of Surgery. He advanced to Professor of Surgery on February 1, 1948. On July 1, 1969, he was named Professor of Surgery, Senior Consultant.

Dr. Bisgard was on the staff of Omaha hospitals: Clarkson, Immanuel, Methodist, and University Hospital. He was a member of the following professional societies: American Association for the Surgery of Trauma, American Association for Thoracic Surgery, American Medical Association, American Surgical Association, Central Society for Clinical Research, Central Surgery Association, Western Surgical Association, American College of Surgeons, American Federation for Clinical Research, Omaha-Douglas County Medical Society, Nebraska State Medical Society, and Nu Sigma Nu. He also served on the board of the Joslyn Art Museum and was a member of the Omaha Athletic Club.

Dr. Bisgard married Mary Elizabeth Dowling, daughter of H.P. Dowling, president of the Shelby County (Iowa) Savings Bank, on January 5, 1925, in San Francisco, California. The Bisgards had two daughters, Mary Elizabeth Bisgard O’Neal and Karen Blair Bisgard Alexander. For many years Dr. Bisgard’s private practice office was in the Medical Arts Building in downtown Omaha. Dr. Bisgard retired in 1973 and moved to Carmel, California, where he died on April 24, 1975, at the age of 77.