Eugene A. Stead

Eugene A. Stead

Dr. Eugene Anson Stead Jr. (b. October 6, 1908, Atlanta, Georgia - d. June 12, 2005) is best known as a medical educator, researcher, and the founder of the Physician Assistant or P.A. profession. He served on the faculty at Harvard, Emory (where he received a Bachelor of Science and MD degree), and Duke universities. His research in the 1940s paved the way for cardiac catheterization in medicine today.

National PA day is celebrated in many places on October 6th to commemorate the day the first class of PAs graduated from Duke University in 1967 (it also happens to be Dr. Stead's birthday).