# Philip Showalter Hench

_American physician (1896-1965)_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/philip-showalter-hench
Last updated: 2026-11-01

> Philip Showalter Hench (February 28, 1896 – March 30, 1965) was an American physician.  Hench, along with his Mayo Clinic co-worker Edward Calvin Kendall and Swiss chemist Tadeus Reichstein was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1950 for the discovery of the hormone cortisone, and its application for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.  The Nobel Committee bestowed the award for the trio's "discoveries relating to the hormones of the adrenal cortex, their structure and biological effects."

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 28 February 1896 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q235651#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Pittsburgh ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q235651#P19))
- **Died:** 30 March 1965 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q235651#P570))
- **Place of death:** Ocho Rios ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q235651#P20))
- **Citizenship:** United States ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q235651#P27))
- **Occupation:** physician; physiologist; endocrinologist; researcher ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q235651#P106))
- **Education:** Lafayette College; University of Pittsburgh; University of Freiburg; Columbia University; Shady Side Academy ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q235651#P69))
- **Awards:** Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine; Lasker-DeBakey Clinical Medical Research Award ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q235651#P166))

## About

Hench received his undergraduate education at Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania, and received his medical training at the United States Army Medical Corps and the University of Pittsburgh.  He began working at Mayo Clinic in 1923, later serving as the head of the Department of Rheumatology.  In addition to the Nobel Prize, Hench received many other awards and honors throughout his career.  He also had a lifelong interest in the history and discovery of yellow fever.

## Questions

**When was Philip Showalter Hench born?**  
Philip Showalter Hench was born on 28 February 1896 in Pittsburgh.

**Where did Philip Showalter Hench study?**  
Philip Showalter Hench was educated at Lafayette College, University of Pittsburgh, University of Freiburg, Columbia University.

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## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Philip Showalter Hench](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_Showalter_Hench) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q235651](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q235651) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: Philip Showalter Hench.jpg by Unknown author Unknown author (Public domain)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Philip_Showalter_Hench.jpg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article Philip Showalter Hench, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Philip Showalter Hench.jpg — Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain.

## Cite this page

"Philip Showalter Hench". DigiNepal. Last updated 1 November 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/philip-showalter-hench. Retrieved 8 November 2026.