H. Mitchell Perry Jr., M.D.

In the early 1950s, Perry was a member of the first American group to succeed in medically treating hypertension. More recently, he and colleagues discovered that using drugs to lower systolic blood pressure significantly reduced the risk of stroke.

"Mitch consistently exuded a high level of excitement about his opportunity to contribute to a better understanding and treatment of high blood pressure," said Larry E. Fields, M.D., assistant professor of medicine and president and chief executive officer of Saint Louis ConnectCare. "He demonstrated effective leadership in an area that impacts a high percentage of Americans."

In collaboration with foundations such as the World Health Organization, Perry traveled the globe with his wife, Betty, to determine whether environmental factors in different cultures may influence the risk of hypertension and stroke. By studying populations at home and abroad, he played a key role in identifying a southeastern region in the United States with higher rates of stroke associated with hypertension, an area now known as the 'stroke belt.'

Born in 1923 in Reading, Pa., Perry studied at Swarthmore College and earned a medical degree from Washington University School of Medicine in 1946. He later served in the Army Medical Corps and did biochemistry research on nerve gas in the Army Chemical Corps.

In addition to Betty, his wife of 56 years, Perry is survived by four children, Horace M. "Mike" Perry, M.D., of Town & Country, Clayton R. Perry, M.D., of St. Louis, Heather E. O'Keefe, Ph.D., of Lexington, Mass., and Holly E. Perry, M.D., of South Hadley, Mass.; a brother, Richard L. Perry, M.D., of Bethany Beach, Del.; and 12 grandchildren.