Arthur G. James (1912-2001) was an American surgeon who specialized in treating cancer patients. He received his bachelor’s, master’s and medical degree at Ohio State in the 1930s. James returned to Ohio State in 1947 as an assistant professor for the Department of Surgery and spent the rest of his career here, eventually being promoted to chief of the Division of Surgical Oncology. He was also the first physician to hold the Lucius A. Wing Chair of Cancer Research and Therapy.
James firmly believed all cancer would eventually be eradicated. This belief coupled with his view that cancer patients needed separate, specialized care, led him to lobby and fundraise to build a cancer hospital in Ohio. The Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Research Institute opened at Ohio State in July 1990.
Among many honors and roles, James served as the national president of the American Cancer Society from 1972 to 1973. In 1987, James was inducted into the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans. James was also awarded the Ohio Governor’s Award for Medicine, Research, and Science in 1994 and the Christopher Columbus Award for Distinguished Citizenship in 1997.