John N. Lukens Jr. ’54

John Lukens died Jan. 12, 2010, at his home in Nashville, Tenn.  

He was born in Portsmouth, Ohio. At Princeton, he was a religion major and vice president of Campus Club. He graduated from Harvard Medical School and then took residency training in pediatrics at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and hematology training at the University of Utah School of Medicine. He served as a captain in the Army from 1962 to 1964, working as assistant chief of pediatrics at Letterman General Hospital. He subsequently held faculty positions at the University of Missouri, Tufts, and Drew Medical School.

In 1975, John joined Vanderbilt to develop a program in pediatric hematology/oncology. His 25-year tenure as director drove advances in the science of caring for children with cancer and improved the survival rates dramatically. John served as a model physician in his compassionate and caring approach to children with cancer. He served on numerous advisory boards and was editor of several medical journals.

The class sends its condolences to his devoted wife of 51 years, Mary Macauley; their daughters, Rachel and Elizabeth; and five grandchildren.