Brief Chronology

  • 1908 --Born September 7 in Lake Charles, Louisiana to Lebanese immigrants Shaker Morris and Raheeja Debaghi
  • 1930 --BS from Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana
  • 1932 --MD from Tulane University School of Medicine
  • 1933-35 --Surgical residency at Charity Hospital in New Orleans
  • 1935 --MS from Tulane University School of Medicine for research on peptic ulcers
  • 1935-37 --Studied at University of Strasbourg in France (under René Leriche) and at the University of Heidelberg in Germany (under Martin Kirschner)
  • 1937 --Married Diane Cooper
  • 1937-40 --Instructor, Department of Surgery, Tulane University School of Medicine
  • 1940-46 --Assistant Professor of Surgery, Tulane University School of Medicine
  • 1942-46 --Service with Surgical Consultants Division, Office of the U.S. Army Surgeon General
  • 1945 --U.S. Army Legion of Merit Award
  • 1946-48 --Associate Professor of Surgery, Tulane University School of Medicine
  • 1948-69 --Professor and Chairman, Cora and Webb Mading Department of Surgery, Baylor University College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
  • 1952 --Performed first repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm
  • 1953 --Performed first carotid endarterectomy
  • 1953-59 --Developed the DeBakey Dacron Graft for vascular repair
  • 1954 --Performed first repair of dissecting aortic aneurysm
  • 1958 --Performed first arterial patch graft
  • 1963 --Received Albert Lasker Clinical Research Award
  • 1964 --Chairman of President Johnson's Commission on Heart Disease, Cancer, and Stroke
  • 1964 --Performed first successful coronary artery bypass procedure
  • 1964-75 --Director, The Cardiovascular Research and Training Center, The Methodist Hospital, Houston, Texas
  • 1964-94 --Chairman of the Albert and Mary Lasker Foundation medical research awards jury
  • 1966 --Performed first successful implantation of left ventricular bypass pump
  • 1968 --Led surgical teams that performs the first multiple organ transplant
  • 1968-69 --Vice President for Medical Affairs and Chief Executive Officer, Baylor College of Medicine
  • 1968-2008 --Distinguished Service Professor, Baylor College of Medicine
  • 1969-79 --President, Baylor College of Medicine
  • 1972 --Wife Diana died of a heart attack
  • 1975 --Married second wife, Katrin Fehlhaber
  • 1976-84 --Director, National Heart and Blood Vessel Research and Demonstration Center, Baylor College of Medicine
  • 1979-96 --Chancellor, Baylor College of Medicine
  • 1981-2008 --Olga Keith Weiss Professor of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine
  • 1985-2008 --Director, The DeBakey Heart Center, Houston, Texas
  • 1996-2008 --Chancellor Emeritus, Baylor College of Medicine
  • 2008 --Died July 11 of natural causes at Methodist Hospital in Houston, Texas