(1896–1986), was the chief of surgery at Harvard University Health Service from 1931 to 1962 and a pioneer in sports medicine.
[1] He wrote two books, "Athletic Injuries" and "Manual of Bandaging, Strapping and Splinting".
[2] One of the principal reasons for which Dr. Thorndike is regarded as a "pioneer" in the industry was his insistence that only a physician was qualified to determine whether an athlete was healthy enough to compete or play their sport and that this decision should not be left to coaches.
Serving twenty-two months in the Pacific during World War II, he was chief of surgical services and commanding officer of the Harvard Unit, 105th General Hospital, the largest army hospital overseas.
[2] From 1956 to 1959, Thorndike served as the sixteenth president of the Harvard Club of Boston.