In Memoriam
Wilson Greatbatch
1919-2011

I would like to express my deepest sympathy for the passing of a great man and a great friend.  I have known Dr. Wilson Greatbatch for many years as we worked together pioneering the world of cardiac pacemakers.  I invented the first battery-powered, external, transistorized, wearable pacemaker in 1957. Wilson invented the 1st battery-powered implantable pacemaker in 1960 and it was soon marketed and sold by Medtronic.  However, before MDT began manufacturing the Model 5850, Dr. Greatbatch, made about 10 of them himself by hand. In 1960, an exclusive contract to market and produce implantable pacemakers was signed by MDT and Dr. Greatbatch and Dr. William Chardack.

He did so much to help Medtronic become successful and I will always be grateful to him for that He not only helped Medtronic in many ways, including the design of our devices and our batteries, it is hard to even imagine the countless numbers of people who have been helped because of his genius.  As the inventor of the first implantable pacemaker, he was an extraordinary scientist and innovator, and we at Medtronic always had the highest respect for him.

In 2001, I received one of my lifetime’s most prestigious honors – the National Academy of Engineering’s Russ Prize, and I received it as a co-awardee with Wilson Greatbatch.  It was a great honor and a wonderful memory that will live with me forever.

He will be fondly remembered and dearly missed.

Earl E. Bakken

http://www.tributes.com/show/Wilson-Greatbach-92438460

AUGUST 2011 – at Medtronic World Headquarters: Earl is presented the AAMI Advancing Safety in Medical Technology Leadership & Achievement Award - one of only 6 ever given. The inscription reads as follows:

"Through vision, impassioned inspiration, creative genius and unyielding commitment to the development of medical devices, and as an AAMI Pioneer and a distinguished leader from the very beginning, Earl Bakken has forever improved public safety around the world." With deep appreciation from the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation.

JANUARY 2011: Hawai'i Tribune-Herald Article "Earl Bakken: Miracle engineer" by Colin M. Stewart (Published: Sunday, January 9, 2011)

Treating people has been his life's work Science was the tool that Earl Bakken used to improve the lives of thousands. But it was the human heart that inspired him, he says. He's built a medical device empire worth billions and saved millions of lives due to his pioneering work on cardiac pacemakers. He even saved his own life, having had two of his pacemakers installed in his own body. Read more...

DECEMBER 2010: Earl's Holiday Greeting Card Slide Show

Please join me in supporting these organizations. Each one is near and dear to my heart and thrives on the generosity of friends like you.

The “Donate Now” link will take you to Guidestar’s Network for Good online giving process. If you would like to designate your gift to one or more organization, please fill in the Designation box with their name(s), If you do not specify, your gift will be shared equally among all of the organizations. Your tax-deductible donation to The Earl & Doris Bakken Foundation will then be passed on to the organization(s) of your choice.

You can also send an e-card or an email message to me at info@earlbakken.com. I’d love to hear from you!

Fan Club Earl Bakken Rocks My World

AUGUST 2009: In 2009, Mitchell Greene, a middle school student from New Bethel, Minnesota, submitted a documentary on Earl Bakken for the National History Day competition. He received Honorable Mention in the 2nd round of the Minnesota State competition. This is the video.

History Day is a highly regarded national academic program that encourages young people to explore a historical subject related to an annual theme. More than 700,000 students participated nationwide. It is also the fastest growing social studies enrichment program in Minnesota with over 25,000 students participating statewide last year. This years History Day theme was, The Individual in History: Actions and Legacies. As I began my research, Mr. Bakken rose to the top as the person I wanted to represent in my documentary. I was interested in Mr. Bakkens co-creation of Medtronic, as well as his invention of the portable, battery operated pacemaker. My grandfather has a pacemaker and he wouldnt be alive today if it werent for the impact of Mr. Bakkens pacing technology. My research started in November of 2008. I competed in St. Cloud at the regional level of the History Day competition in April of 2009. I made it to the state level which was held at the U of M in May. I advanced into the second round where I received Honorable Mention for my documentary.

JANUARY 2009: Earl Bakken celebrates 85th Birthday. Over $18,000 raised in honor of Earl to support eight non-profit organizations.

SEPTEMBER 2008: "In retirement, Earl Bakken keeps finding new missions."Article published in Pacific Business News.

AUGUST 2008: Earl Bakken receives an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters Degree from the University of Missouri, St. Louis.

JULY 2008: The Visionary Caring Science Award was presented to Earl Bakken by Dr. Jean Watson and the Watson Science Institute, Honoring Earl Bakken for Transformation of Nursing and Healthcare

MAY 2008: See IEEE Oral History video with Earl Bakken

Only rarely in life do you have the opportunity to meet a true pioneer, a person who, through his vision, inspiration, courage, and leadership, can change the course of human history.

Earl Bakken is such a person.

He not only invented the world’s first wearable, battery-operated external pacemaker, he helped launch the modern medical-technology industry. Through his leadership, he enabled millions of people with life-threatening illnesses to be restored to full life and health. He founded and led the world’s leading medical-technology company, Medtronic, Inc. And now, in his eighth decade, he is pioneering again, creating entirely new forms of healing.

As is evident throughout his life and works, Earl Bakken is a visionary: a man who can dream of a future unthinkable to others and then lead people to enable his dream to become a reality. Earl’s dreams are often so advanced that others scoff at them, or simply ignore him. They do so at their peril, for Earl has spent a lifetime making his dreams come true.

He is a man of paradox: an engineer who envisions a world of “high-touch” integrated healing, a leader who inspires others, but lets them do their own thing, an introvert who will happily stand on a convention floor for 12 hours at a time, talking to other dreamers and prospective users of his ideas.

What are the qualities that have allowed Earl Bakken to accomplish so much in his lifetime? He has deep technical knowledge, but so do many other engineers who never reach beyond the confines of their laboratories. He has vision, but so do many others whose ideas never come to fruition. He has leadership skill, but the world is filled with leaders who never go beyond a single major accomplishment.

What makes Earl unique is his soul.

Earl is a man with a mission to use science to benefit humankind, an idea he received from his pastor in his early teenage years and from which he has never deviated. He has a deep sense of spiritual calling, an understanding of his purpose on this earth.

And, more than any person I have ever met, Earl is totally devoted to his calling. Nothing can cause him to deviate or to give up. Money, fame, glory…Earl has all of these, but none is really important to him. He conveys his mission to everyone he meets, and he openly, yet modestly, asks them to join him on his journey.

It is this journey that you are now priviledge to explore on this website. As you do so, join the thousands of others who have been inspired by Earl's life, work and the visions he has made reality.

(Forward (edited) by Bill George, former Chairman & CEO, Medtronic, Inc. from "One Man's Full Life. " First banner photo coutesy of Alvin Upitis.)