Dr. Robert A. Hingson grew up with an interest in health and caring for others. He attended the University of Alabama, receiving the degree of Bachelor of Arts in 1935, and then entered the Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia where he received a Doctor of Medicine degree in 1938. Following his studies, he pursued a career in the field of anesthesiology.

Dr. Hingson’s innovative efforts led to three monumental inventions and methods that continue to relieve pain and suffering worldwide today. He invented a portable respirator anesthesia gas machine and resuscitator called the Western Reserve Midget. This machine is highly transportable and allows for the delivery of a short-term, general anesthetic. He also performed extensive experiments in the use of anesthesia to prevent pain during childbirth. These efforts won international recognition and led to the invention of the continuous caudal anesthesia techniques. Dr. Hingson is best known in the public health field for his jet injector, a tool that has enabled efficient, mass, needle-less inoculation worldwide against such diseases as smallpox, measles, tuberculosis, tetanus, leprosy, poliomyelitis, and influenza. The “peace gun,” as it is known, allows the inoculation of 1,000 persons per hour with several simultaneous vaccines.