by NJJN Staff

May 7, 2009

Eminent physician and patron of the arts Dr. Victor Parsonnet will receive the Jewish Historical Society of MetroWest’s Lasting Impressions Award at a gala event on Wednesday, May 20, at the Crystal Plaza in Livingston.

New Jersey Performing Arts Center president Lawrence P. Goldman, whose efforts in developing NJPAC are credited in large part for Newark’s renaissance, will be the featured speaker.

The award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated outstanding leadership and service to the community.

Parsonnet is medical director of the NJ Pacemaker and Defibrillator Evaluation Center and director of surgical research at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center. He is a member of a medical dynasty with family roots deeply planted in Newark. Many of his family members served as physicians at the Beth, including both his grandparents, Dr. Victor Parsonnet and Dr. Max Danzis, who were cofounders of the hospital in 1901.

The honoree has gained international renown for his pioneering development of the nuclear pacemaker. He also developed many cardiovascular procedures in New Jersey. Parsonnet is a clinical professor of surgery at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, where he teaches medical students the surgical procedures he originated. He has earned numerous awards and honors from medical organizations and colleges.

After receiving degrees from Cornell University and the NYU College of Medicine, he completed a fellowship with Drs. Michael DeBakey and Denton Cooley in Houston. Parsonnet served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and the U.S. Air Force during the Korean conflict.

In the world of arts, Parsonnet has served as a chair of the NJ Symphony Orchestra for 16 years and is largely responsible for its having achieved world-class stature. NJSO members will perform at the dinner.

He resides in Whitehouse Station with his wife, Jane.

JHS president Howard Kiesel said, “This year’s Lasting Impressions gala will be a wonderful tribute to Dr. Parsonnet, a man of incredible vision and determination.”

The cost of the dinner is $180 per person. To make reservations, contact Irene Segal by May 15 at 973-929-2703 or isegal@jhsmw.org.

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