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UB mourns death of Wilson Greatbatch

UB Reporter

Published: September 29, 2011

The UB community is mourning the loss of Wilson Greatbatch, a UB alumnus, former engineering faculty member and inventor of the implantable cardiac pacemaker who died on Tuesday at age 92.

"Our University at Buffalo community mourns the passing of Wilson Greatbatch and extends our deepest sympathies and heartfelt condolences to the Greatbatch family,” President Satish K. Tripathi said.

“It is impossible to quantify just how deeply Greatbatch has impacted our university and our community over the years. Far beyond our own region, his invention of the implantable cardiac pacemaker has improved and saved millions of lives around the world.

“Our UB community is tremendously proud of his long and multifaceted association with our university—as a distinguished alumnus and former member of our engineering faculty, a longtime university friend and a source of inspiration to generations of faculty and students at our university,” Tripathi said.

“The same can be said of the powerful company he built in Western New York—Greatbatch Inc. Like its founder, Greatbatch Inc. has been a strong and committed partner of the University at Buffalo over the years, supporting the research of our faculty and students, and helping to foster the next generation of engineering pioneers. And UB and Greatbatch are partners in building a vital life sciences economy in our region—and in seeking out the biomedical solutions and discoveries that will improve the quality of life for individuals around the world,” he said.

“Today, we are proud that one of our eminent faculty members—SUNY Distinguished Professor Esther Takeuchi—holds the Greatbatch Professorship in Advanced Power Sources in the UB departments of Chemical and Biological Engineering and Electrical Engineering, a position endowed by Greatbatch Inc.

Truly, we have countless reasons to be grateful to Greatbatch’s enduring legacy,” Tripathi added. “His achievements and contributions will continue to enrich our university and our community for many generations to come.”

In addition to the implantable pacemaker, Greatbatch, MS ’57, is known for developing the lithium battery that keeps the pacemaker running.

In 1984, his implantable cardiac pacemaker was named one of the 10 outstanding U.S. engineering achievements of the last 50 years by the National Society of Professional Engineers. He was a member of the prestigious National Inventors Hall of Fame and received a National Medal of Technology in 1990 from then-President George H.W. Bush at the White House.

Greatbatch held more than 350 U.S. and foreign patents.

A permanent display honoring Greatbatch, his achievements and his legacy is on display on the second floor of the Silverman Library in Capen Hall.