Born August 19, 1910, in New Iberia, Louisiana. Later moving to Nashville, Tennessee. Thomas had dreams of attending college, with every intention of becoming a doctor of medicine. Due to the Great Depression that arrived in the late half of 1929, all of Thomas’s savings for his education had been lost. Thomas was fortunate to have won a job as a laboratory technician at Vanderbilt University's medical school, working under Dr. Alfred Blalock.

In a short period of time, Thomas proved to be more than useful to Dr. Blalock. Thomas proved that he was not only a superb surgical technician but also an inventor as well. While working only on animals, Dr. Vivien Thomas created a device that would assist in the studies of shock and high blood pressure. Guided by Blalock, Thomas became a master of surgical techniques and procedures. Yet, though all of this, Thomas was paid only the same amount as a janitor, a mere $16 per week for 16 hour a day shifts.

In time Blalock, gained more recognition due to his research and his assistance from Thomas. In 1941 this recognition took Blalock from Vanderbilt University to Chief of Surgery at John Hopkins University. Upon his accepting of Blalock’s offer to join him in Maryland, Thomas withstood more opposition than he had received in Nashville, where once again the only blacks allowed inside of John Hopkins University were janitors. Thomas actually had to enter the hospital not through the front door, but the service entry.

Thomas continued and assisted Blalock, pioneering in the field of heart surgery with a procedure to alleviate a congenital heart defect, known to most as the Blue Baby syndrome. In 1944 Thomas continued in the face of racism to create the surgical procedure necessary to save lives. Although Thomas was not allowed at that time to perform the surgery himself, Blalock insisted that Thomas stand behind him throughout the entire procedure in order to walk him through the surgery properly. This marked the beginning of the modern era of cardiac surgery. Thomas watched as the Journal of the American Medical Association, credited Blalock without any mention of him.

It may seem that with his knowledge and experience that Thomas would have had a much easier time, especially financially, but this was just not the case. Many times Thomas would also work as a waiter during parties hosted by Blalock in order to make ends meet. It wasn’t until much later that Thomas received a higher compensation for his work. Although Thomas was working at a level that surpassed Blalock’s level of comprehension of medicine, his pay was still quite low in comparison to his work and dedication.

Still, his work and dedication did allow him to be viewed by some as a legendary figure, giving him the opportunity to train and assist many upcoming surgeons attending John Hopkins. Because of this, in 1971, these Surgeons trained by Thomas, acknowledged him and his works by presenting him with an Honorary Doctorate of Law and having his portrait made and hung next to Blalocks’ portrait in the lobby. A first, once again set by Dr Vivien T. Thomas.

Dr. Thomas retired in 1979 as the Instructor of Surgery at John Hopkins University. He soon after began to write his autobiography, ‘Partners of The Heart: Vivien Thomas and his Work with Alfred Blalock’. Dr. Vivien T. Thomas died at the age of 75, November 26, 1985, just days before the book was published.

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