In Loving Memory of John A. Oates III, MD

In loving memory of John A. Oates III, MD. He is recognized by Continental Who’s Who as a Pinnacle Lifetime Achiever in the field of Medicine and Education as a former Physician, Medical Educator and Biomedical Scientist.

Admired for his contributions to clinical pharmacology, Dr. Oates was well-known nationally and internationally. He was a medical professor, clinical researcher, and physician. An academic, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Wake Forest University in 1953 and a Doctorate of Medicine degree from Bowman Gray School of Medicine, now known as Wake Forest, in 1956. He trained for his career as an intern and a resident at New York Hospital Cornell University Medical Center.

After he received his degree and training, Dr. Oates worked as a clinical associate and then a senior investigator at the National Heart Institute. He served at the National Institute of Health, where he discovered the antihypertensive effect of methyldopa/Aldomet by testing its effects on patients with malignant hypertension.

In light of a lifetime of accomplishments, Dr. Oates published hundreds of peer-reviewed reports on hypertension, heart disease, and prostaglandin. His clinical pharmacology residency was recognized internationally as the best program in its field. He has received numerous awards, including the Earl Sutherland Award for Achievement in Research and the Novartis Award Council for High Blood Pressure Research.

Born in Fayetteville, NC, in 1932, Dr. Oates was the son of John Alexander Jr. and Isabelle Crowder. He is preceded in death by his wife Meredith, sister Mary Burton, children David Alexander, Christine Larkin, and James Caldwell, and grandchildren Caroline Larkin Leonczyk, Evan Edward Oates, John Robert Oates, and Aubrey Elizabeth Oates.

An avid reader and hobbyist, Dr. Oates enjoyed many activities outside of his professional life, such as wildflower photography, ballroom dancing, sailing, and hiking.