J. Alex Haller

Haller Jr. was born in Pulaski, Virginia, to a family of dentists and physicians originally from York, Pennsylvania.

His father, J. Alex Haller Sr., raised him with the help of two aunts, after his mother, Julia Allison, died.

There, Haller met his future wife, Emily Simms, and played for the Vanderbilt Commodores men's basketball team until his senior year of college.

After completing his medical degree at Hopkins in 1951, Haller pursued further study in Europe on the advice of Arnold R. Rich.

[1][4] Over the course of his career, Haller helped develop the Advanced Pediatric Life Support program, and the Maryland Emergency Medical Services system.