The surgical career of William Williams Keen began in the midst of the American Civil War, where he established a reputation for treating complex neurological wounds. Born in Philadelphia in 1837, he emerged as a dominant figure in American medicine, eventually gaining recognition as the first surgeon in the United States to specialize in brain surgery.
Military Service and Neurological Research
Keen served as a surgeon for the Fifth Massachusetts Militia Regiment and the Union Army. Working alongside S. Weir Mitchell, he conducted critical research on nervous system injuries that few other practitioners dared to treat at the time. Their 1864 publication, Gunshot Wounds and Other Injuries of the Nerves and Reflex Paralysis, introduced medical terminology for conditions including causalgia and reflex sympathetic dystrophy.
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After two years of study in Paris and Berlin, Keen returned to Philadelphia to teach at Jefferson Medical College, where he launched the institution’s first surgical research lab. He pioneered neurosurgical procedures such as the removal of brain tumors and the drainage of cerebral ventricles. Beyond his research, he edited prominent medical texts, including multiple editions of Gray's Anatomy and the comprehensive An American Text-Book of Surgery.
Operation on President Grover Cleveland
In 1893, Keen led a secret medical team to perform surgery on President Grover Cleveland to remove a cancerous jaw tumor. The operation took place aboard the yacht Oneida to maintain strict confidentiality. Surgeons successfully removed the growth, five teeth, and a portion of the palate and jawbone. A subsequent procedure involved cauterization, and the President recovered fully, returning to his official duties shortly thereafter.
Public Advocacy and Professional Legacy
Throughout his later years, Keen acted as a vocal proponent of animal experimentation, authoring several books including Animal Experimentation and Medical Progress to counter anti-vivisection arguments. He also engaged with his faith through writing, publishing works such as I Believe in God and in Evolution. Keen held the presidency of the American Medical Association from 1900 to 1901 and was an active member of the American Philosophical Society.
Fast facts
- Born: 1837, Philadelphia
- Died: 1932, Philadelphia
- Education: Brown University, Jefferson Medical College
- President of the American Medical Association: 1900-1901
- Notable surgery: Grover Cleveland jaw tumor removal, 1893
- Burial site: The Woodlands
- Honors: Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons, 1900
Questions readers ask
Was William Williams Keen the first American brain surgeon?
Yes, he is historically recognized as the first brain surgeon in the United States, having pioneered various procedures involving the skull and brain.
What was the result of the secret operation on President Grover Cleveland?
Keen successfully removed a cancerous tumor from the President's jaw, allowing him to recuperate and resume his presidential duties within weeks.
Achievements
- honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons — 1900
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