Coe Medal Recipients

The Coe Medal 

The Coe Medal was initially conceived to honor the memory of Herbert E. Coe, MD.  Based in Seattle, he was a founding father of pediatric surgery on the Pacific shore of the United States.  It is the highest honor presented by PAPS, and is awarded to someone who has practiced on the Pacific Rim and who has made outstanding contributions to Pediatric Surgery.

In 1984, John Stevenson was placed in charge of plans to develop a Medal of Honor bearing the likeness of Herbert Coe, with $1,800 being allocated for the first fifty medals.  Dr. Stevenson also convened a Committee of Alexander Bill, Douglas Cohen, Morio Kasai and Murray Kilman to establish criteria for the awarding of the medal.  It was decided in 1985 that the first medal, cast in pewter with antique gold finish, would be presented to Mrs. Coe.  In 1986, the Board of Directors approved the following guidelines for selection of future recipients: 

1. The recipients would be recognized as having made outstanding contributions to pediatric surgery.
2. Contributions should be considered in any related field of pediatric surgery, any of the pediatric surgical specialties, pediatric surgical research, or anything that is considered to have raised the status of pediatric surgery. Service to PAPS per se, however meritorious, should not be considered an appropriate contribution unless the nominee was considered to have contributed in some additional appropriate way.
3. Except in most special circumstances, the medal would be awarded to those individuals who are working or have worked in the area covered by PAPS.
4. In order to enhance the value of the award, not more than one medal should be given in any one year. It should also not be necessary to make the award every year.  A candidate for the award could be nominated by any PAPS member in good standing.
5. The nomination should be forwarded to the Secretary and should include enough information for members of the Board to formally review and, if appropriate, second the nomination. The final selection of the recipient for the Coe Medal will be made by vote of the Board of Directors.
6. The selection should be made 4 mo

The addition of two more guidelines followed:

7. Although no limitation is placed on the nomination of any candidate, special consideration would be given to nominees who are or have been working in the Pacific Basin or whose work is seen as having particular relevance for pediatric surgeons working in the area.
8. A list of previous recipients will be sent out each time the selection committee guidelines are promulgated to avoid the problem of possibly recommending someone who is already a recipient.

In 1987, the Board of Directors voted to make an exception to the rule of awarding a single medal in one year and awarded medals to both Alexander Bill and Morio Kasai to mark the 20^th Anniversary of PAPS in 1998 in Seattle, the home of Dr. Coe.

List of Recipients