James B. Herrick Award for Outstanding Achievement in Clinical Cardiology
Sponsored by the Council on Clinical Cardiology
To qualify for this award, you must meet the following deadlines:
- June 1, 2025 – Deadline to have an active AHA professional membership.
- June 6, 2025, 6 p.m. (CDT) – Deadline to apply for this award in the Council Awards System.
The James B. Herrick Award for Outstanding Achievement in Clinical Cardiology is presented by the American Heart Association's Council on Clinical Cardiology. This award honors a physician whose scientific achievements have contributed profoundly to the advancement and practice of clinical cardiology.
The Herrick Award, consisting of a medallion, is conferred annually during the Council on Clinical Cardiology Annual Dinner and Business Meeting during the Scientific Sessions of the American Heart Association.
In establishing the James B. Herrick Award, the Council on Clinical Cardiology pays homage to a great clinician, as well as to those who have emulated him in advancing the field of cardiology.
Dr. Herrick (1861-1954) was a pioneer among cardiologists. His contributions were many, but perhaps most significant was his classic paper on “Clinical Features of Sudden Obstruction of the Coronary Arteries,” published in 1912. Besides giving the medical world a definitive description of coronary thrombosis, his studies emphasized the important observation that sudden obstruction of a coronary artery is not necessarily fatal.
Dr. Herrick lived to see his investigations confirmed and acclaimed. His life was rich with honors. He served as president of the American Heart Association in 1927-28, and received its Gold Heart Award in 1951.
Award Recipients
- Michelle A. Albert, MD, MPH, FAHA, FACC
2020–2023 Recipients
- 2023 Patrick T. O'Gara, MD, MACC, FAHA, FESC
- 2022 Pamela S. Douglas, MD, FAHA
- 2021 Alice K. Jacobs, MD, FAHA
- 2020 Clyde W, Yancy, MD, MSc, FAHA
2010–2019 Recipients
- 2019 Keith Copelin Ferdinand, MD, FAHA
- 2018 Judith S. Hochman, MD, FAHA
- 2017 Arthur J. Moss, MD
- 2016 Sidney C. Smith Jr., MD, FAHA
- 2015 Sajiv Kaul, MBBS, FAHA
- 2014 Kanu Chatterjee, MB, FRCP (Lond), FRCP ( Edin), FACC, FCCP, MACP
- 2013 Marc Pfeffer, MD, PhD
- 2012 Bernard Gersh, MB, ChB, D Phil
- 2011 Nanette Wenger, MD
- 2010 Elliott M. Antman, MD
2000–2009 Recipients
- 2009 Robert Bonow, MD
- 2008 Prediman Krishan (P.K.) Shah, MD
- 2007 David Holmes, Jr., MD
- 2006 Patrick Serruys, MD
- 2005 Bertram Pitt, MD
- 2004 Myron L. Weisfeldt, MD
- 2003 Jay N. Cohn, MD
- 2002 Robert L. Frye, MD
- 2001 Valentin Fuster, MD
- 2000 George A. Beller, MD
1990–1999 Recipients
- 1999 Thomas N. James, MD
- 1998 Henrick J. J. Wellens, MD
- 1997 Douglas P. Zipes, MD
- 1996 Thomas J. Ryan, MD
- 1995 Richard Gorlin, MD
- 1994 Robert C. Schlant, MD
- 1993 James T. Willerson, MD
- 1992 Burton E. Sobel, MD
- 1991 Thomas W. Smith, MD
- 1990 John Ross, MD
1980–1989 Recipients
- 1989 Shahbudin H. Rahimtoola, MD
- 1988 Elliot Rapaport, MD
- 1987 Harold T. Dodge, MD
- 1986 Robert A. O’Rourke, MD
- 1985 H.J.C. Swan, MD, PhD
- 1984 T. Joseph Reeves, MD
- 1983 Charles Fisch, MD
- 1982 Richard S. Ross, MD
- 1981 Eugene Braunwald, MD
- 1980 J. Willis Hurst, MD
1970–1979 Recipients
- 1979 Paul N. Yu, MD
- 1978 W. Proctor Harvey, MD
- 1977 George E. Burch, MD
- 1976 James V. Warren, MD
- 1975 Lewis Dexter, MD
- 1974 Helen B. Taussig, MD
- 1973 Paul Dudley White, MD
- 1972 Howard Burchell, MD
- 1971 Tinsley R. Harrison, MD
- 1970 Eugene A. Stead, Jr., MD
1968–1969 Recipients
- 1969 Franklin D. Johnston, MD
- 1968 Hermann Blumgart, MD
Nominee Eligibility
Applicants or nominees for this award must meet the following criteria:
- Be members of the AHA Scientific Council sponsoring this award. Your council affiliation will be validated during the application process. Membership must be completed online. Please note that membership processing may take 3–5 days; do not wait until the proposal deadline to Join or Renew.
- Any living physician, regardless of specialty, may be nominated.
- Current members of the CLCD Nominating Committee are not eligible to apply for or be nominated for the award.
Application Criteria
The letters of support must clearly address the candidate’s contributions to the following broad areas:
- Advancement of scientific knowledge, either basic or clinical research, that relates directly to clinical cardiology
- Experience teaching cardiology at undergraduate, graduate or postgraduate levels
- Improvement in the practice of cardiology
- Service to the mission of the American Heart Association
Eligibility Criteria
Any living physician, regardless of specialty, may be nominated. The award is based on the recipient’s contributions to one or more of the following broad areas:
- All applicants for the award must be members of the Council on Clinical Cardiology by the time of application submission. If you need to become an AHA Professional Member, you should do so before submitting your abstract and award application materials. Join or renew today!
- Advancement of scientific knowledge, either basic or clinical research, that relates directly to clinical cardiology
- Teaching of cardiology at undergraduate, graduate or postgraduate levels
- Improvement in the practice of cardiology
- Service to the mission of the American Heart Association
Current members of the CLCD Nominating Committee are not eligible to apply for or be nominated for the award.
Timeline
- June 1, 2025 – Deadline to have an active AHA professional membership with the council sponsoring the award. Membership must be completed online. Please note that membership processing may take 3-5 days; do not wait until the proposal deadline to Join or Renew.
- June 6, 2025, 6 p.m. (CDT) – Deadline to apply for the award in the Council Awards Application System. This deadline will not be extended.
- July 2025 – Nominator/Nominee is notified of their award status (selected or not selected).
Required Documents
Electronic submission through the Council Awards Application System is mandatory. Hard copies of any part of the application will not be accepted.
Your nomination file should contain the following documents in PDF format:
- Candidate's Curriculum Vitae
- Letter of Nomination or Candidate Statement: Original letter drafted on an electronic letterhead with a signature. The letter should outline and provide clear examples of how the candidate meets the criteria.
- Primary Letter of Recommendation: Original letter drafted on an electronic letterhead with a signature, from a colleague who can evaluate the candidate's research contributions. The letter must address each of the major award application criteria and indicate what distinguishes the candidate in each criterion.
- Up to two optional letters of support: Original letters drafted on an electronic letterhead with a signature, from individuals familiar with the nominee's background or research may be submitted in the nomination file.
How to Apply
Visit the Council Awards Application System to complete an application.
A username and password previously set up through online registration at Professional Heart Daily (PHD) will be necessary to access the Application System. AHA Professional Members who are creating an online profile for the first time should make sure to register using their AHA membership identification numbers.
An active AHA Professional Membership is required of all applicants for this award. If you are joining the AHA to apply, please wait for your AHA member number to arrive from AHA Member Services via e-mail before creating an online profile and starting your application file. We suggest that new members join the AHA no later than one week prior to the application submission deadline for the member ID number to be processed and delivered in time for the application deadline. The membership number will be required on the award application form.
- Click the link for the Council Awards Application System.
- Sign in with your Professional Heart Daily username and password.
- Follow these instructions to set up your profile in ProposalCentral. Setting up your ProposalCentral profile will only need to be done the first time you login to apply for an American Heart Association Council Awards. Please note that the grant maker named American Heart Association is for AHA Research Awards and is a separate log in.
- To apply for award, follow these steps:
- Create New Proposal: Start by selecting "Create New Proposal."
- Filter by Grant Maker: Choose "American Heart Association Council Awards."
- Select Program: From the Programs list, select "Scientific Sessions Lifetime Achievement Awards and Lectures."
- Apply Now: Click the "Apply Now" button.
- Choose Award: Within the application, select the award.
- For more detailed information on ProposalCentral, also included are additional materials on specific ProposalCentral functionality.
Prize
The honoree will be recognized and invited to present a state-of-the-art lecture at the Council on Clinical Cardiology dinner and will also receive the following:
- Complimentary registration to Scientific Sessions
- Two (2) complimentary tickets to the CLCD Council Dinner
- Commemorative medallion
- Reimbursement for eligible travel expenses up to $1,000
Questions
- Council Awards Application System (ProposalCentral) Help Desk: [email protected]
- Council Awards: [email protected]
- Member Services: [email protected]
- Abstract Submitter Password/Login: [email protected]
- Abstract Submission: [email protected]
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