Henry Howard Kessler (April 10, 1896 – January 18, 1978) was an American physician, surgeon, and pioneer in rehabilitation medicine and orthopedic surgery.
[3][4] His father, Simon, was a carpenter, and his mother, Bertha Portuguese Kessler, worked in a hat factory.
He volunteered to serve in the United States Navy as an orthopedic surgeon during World War II.
[6] In 1962, Kessler oversaw the establishment of a new hospital to aid disabled people in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
[10] Kessler was one of 15 members appointed to the National Commission on State Workmen's Compensation Law by the President under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970.
The commission's final report, issued July 31, 1972, found that workman's compensation coverage was inadequate in almost every state and had a flawed delivery system.
In December 1972, the Governor named seven people, including Kessler, to the New Jersey Workmen's Compensation Study Commission.
In September 1973, the commission released a 100-page report that included a list of 14 major deficiencies in the workmen's compensation program and offered recommended changes.
As a result of the findings of these commissions, Governor Brendan Byrne focused on workmen's compensation in his 1973 election.