Max Thorek (10 March 1880 – 25 January 1960) was a Hungarian-American surgeon, best known for founding the International College of Surgeons in 1935 and writing his autobiography entitled A Surgeon's World in 1943.

Early life and education

Max Thorek was born in Budapest, where his father was a physician in a small town. Thorek's preparation for university training began in Budapest but was interrupted when his younger brother was killed in a pogrom and the family emigrated to Chicago, where he attended the University of Chicago. He completed his medical degree at Rush Medical College in 1904. Thorek later worked in obstetrics, general, and reconstructive surgery. He married Fannie Unger in Chicago on 16 April 1905. In 1954, he founded the International Museum of Surgical Science in a Chicago Gold Coast mansion, and was the founder of Thorek Memorial Hospital, as of 2019 still in operation in Chicago's Uptown neighborhood. He became an internationally acclaimed amateur photographer during the pictorialist movement, and author of several books on the subject, including Camera Art as a Means of Self-Expression (1947) and Creative Camera Art (1937).

Death and legacy

He died in Chicago on 25 January 1960, and was interred at Rosehill Cemetery.