J. Crayton Pruitt, Sr.

J. Crayton Pruitt and his family established this endowment to support a chair in the J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering.

Pruitt was born on November 23, 1931. After graduating from St. Petersburg High School, Pruitt received his bachelor’s degree and his medical degree from Emory University. He completed his residency in thoracic and cardiovascular surgery at the North Carolina Baptist Hospital in Winston Salem, NC in 1963. As a St. Petersburg surgeon, he devoted his career to the treatment of stroke and pioneered the surgical treatment of carotid artery arteriosclerosis for the prevention of stroke. Pruitt was also part owner of Ideas for Medicine, a manufacturer of medical and surgical products. He enjoys real estate, agriculture and flying.

J. Crayton Pruitt passed away on October 8, 2011.