John M. Walker

John Mercer Walker Sr.
Born	Template:Birth date United States
Died	August 16, 1990(1990-08-16) (aged 83) Kennebunkport, Maine, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Medical doctor, financier
Known for	Member of Bush-Walker family; president of Memorial Hospital (Memorial Sloan–Kettering Cancer Center)

John Mercer Walker Sr. (January 15, 1907 – August 16, 1990) was an American medical doctor and financier, belonging to the distinguished Bush-Walker lineage and maternal uncle to President George H. W. Bush.

Biography

As the fifth child among six siblings born to financier George Herbert Walker and Lucretia Wear, Walker's family connections were notable. His sister Dorothy became the wife of Senator Prescott Bush, the father of President George H. W. Bush. He completed his education at The Hill School before enrolling at Yale University, where he earned varsity letters in several sports and was inducted into Skull and Bones, graduating in 1931. He obtained his medical degree from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in 1936 and fulfilled his residency at Roosevelt Hospital.

In 1939, Walker wed Elsie Louise Mead, whose father George Houk Mead led the Mead Corporation as president. Together they had seven children, including two daughters diagnosed with Down syndrome. During the Second World War, he served as a major in the United States Army stationed in Europe. Following the war, he practiced medicine privately until a polio diagnosis in 1950 confined him to a wheelchair.

Walker joined Memorial Hospital (currently Memorial Sloan–Kettering Cancer Center) in 1952 as a clinical assistant surgeon and held the presidency there from 1965 until 1974. He played a critical role in treating Pauline Robinson "Robin" Bush, daughter of President Bush, at a time when local physicians had recommended against intervention, highlighting his dedication to advancing medical treatments and patient advocacy.

Subsequently, he shifted his career focus to investment banking, taking on the role of managing partner at G. H. Walker & Co., established by his father, and also served as a limited partner at Alex. Brown & Sons. Upon retiring in 1971, he devoted himself to operating a successful farm in Easton, Maryland while preserving family connections in Kennebunkport, Maine.

In recognition of family heritage and professional merit, President Bush appointed Walker’s eldest son John M. Walker Jr. to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in 1989.

Walker passed away due to an aneurysm in Kennebunkport in 1990.