William J. Schroeder (February 14, 1932 – August 7, 1986), was one of the first recipients of an artificial heart.
Schroeder was born in Jasper, Indiana, and was a Sergeant in the United States Air Force from 1952 to 1966.
The transplant was performed at Humana Heart Institute International in Louisville, Kentucky by Dr. William C.
[2] After 18 days, he suffered the first of a series of strokes, eventually leaving him in a vegetative state.
[4] The headstone marking Schroeder's grave is made of black granite in the shape of two overlapping hearts.