Stanford Hanbery Neurosurgical Society

A turning point in Stanford Neurosurgery came in 1954 when Emile Holman recruited John Hanbery, MD to the Stanford University School of Medicine as Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery; Dr. Hanbery’s tenure at Stanford would last an amazing 35 years. A Stanford undergraduate, Dr. Hanbery attended the Stanford University School of Medicine where he completed his residency training in general surgery. He was accepted by Walter Dandy to pursue a Neurosurgery residency at Johns Hopkins, however, when Dr. Dandy died, Dr. Hanbery instead went to the Montreal Neurological Institute (McGill University) to study with neurosurgeons Drs. Wilder Penfield and William Cone, founders of the institute.

Five years later in 1959, and 41 years after its founding, the Stanford University School of Medicine moved from San Francisco to its new location on the Stanford University Campus as the Palo Alto-Stanford Medical Center Hospital (co-owned by the City of Palo Alto). That same year Dr. Hanbery temporally left full-time academia to join neurosurgeon Dr. James Golden at the Palo Alto Clinic. He remained on the Stanford teaching faculty, however, and in 1961 he returned to Stanford full-time as Clinical Professor of Neurosurgery, where he established the very first Stanford Neurosurgery Residency training program. In 1964 Roy Cohn, MD, Chair of Surgery, appointed Dr. Hanbery Professor and Head of the Division of Neurosurgery where he would remain until 1989.

John Hanbery was known as a consummate clinician, superb technical surgeon, and leader in the development of Spine Neurosurgery and Pediatric Neurosurgery. Most notable, however, was his devotion and loyalty to Neurosurgery residents. During his tenure he trained 26 residents in diagnostic acumen, surgical proficiency, clinical care, as well as compassionate bedside manner.

In 1974 former residents honored Dr. Hanbery by establishing the John W. Hanbery Neurosurgical Society, an organization of Stanford Resident Alumni and honored guest members that meet annually to present scientific and clinical papers.