Beverly C. Morgan M.D.

1925 - 2014

Beverly C. Morgan, aged 88, died peacefully at her home in Newport Beach on January 25th. Born Beverly Carver, May 29th 1925 in New York City, Beverly grew up in Northern Los Angeles County where she attended Ramona Convent School and Hollywood High School. After receiving a nursing certificate at Roosevelt Hospital in New York City, Beverly worked briefly as a flight attendant for American Overseas Airlines before studying at the University of Wisconsin. She attended Duke University Medical School where she was one of only four women in a 1955 graduating class of 75 students. At Duke Beverly also met and married Thomas E. Morgan. She completed her internship at Stanford after which she became a resident in pediatrics at Babies Hospital of Columbia Presbyterian University. Becoming interested in pediatric cardiology, she stayed on at Columbia as a fellow. Daughter Nancy and son Tom were born in New York and another son, John, was born while Beverly was continuing her studies in San Antonio, Texas, where husband Tom was in the Air Force. She worked with Dr. Denton Cooley at the University of Texas, pioneering cardiac catheterization in infants and children. The family settled in Seattle in 1962 and Beverly joined the faculty of the University of Washington Medical School, eventually becoming a full professor of pediatric cardiology. In 1974 she became Chair of the Department of Pediatrics and later Chief Pediatrician at Seattle Children's Orthopedic Hospital which she was instrumental in affiliating with the University Medical School. In 1980 she moved to the University of California Irvine Medical School where she was also chair of Pediatrics. After stepping down from administration she remained at UC Irvine as a professor of pediatric cardiology, clinician, and educator, until her retirement in 2009. Dr. Morgan was also a notable philanthropist, endowing chairs in pediatrics at both the University of Washington and Duke University Medical Schools as well as establishing a private foundation focused on education. She is survived by her three children, and six grandchildren, all of whom live in Washington State.