In Memoriam: James Stuart Forrester III, MD, FACC

James Stuart Forrester III, MD, FACC, passed away on March 30, leaving behind countless contributions to the field of cardiology and a legacy of scholarship and mentorship.

Forrester is credited for several major advancements in cardiovascular care, including the development of the "Forrester hemodynamic subsets" used to monitor patients with acute myocardial infarction at the bedside in the 1970s. He and George A. Diamond, MD, also created in the 1980s the Diamond-Forrester method for calculating a patient's post-test likelihood of coronary heart disease. In the 1990s, Forrester also led a team responsible for the development of coronary angioscopy and contributed to the understanding and treatment of acute coronary syndrome.

In addition to his impressive clinical contributions, Forrester had an extraordinary career at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, CA, including serving as chief of the division of cardiology for many years. He also published more than 400 papers and authored The Heart Healers: The Misfits, Mavericks, and Rebels Who Created the Greatest Medical Breakthrough of Our Lives in 2015.

Among his numerous awards, Forrester was awarded ACC's Distinguished Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009 and the 2011 Simon Dack Award for Outstanding Scholarship from JACC. In 2014, he coauthored the Past is Prologue with ACC Past President John Gordon Harold, MD, MACC, commemorating the 65th anniversary of the ACC and the birth of modern cardiovascular medicine.

"Cardiology lost a giant," says Harold. "Yet, what many of us will remember most is the man himself: warm, witty, humble and relentlessly generous. He was a mentor to hundreds, a leader to generations and a friend to all who knew him."

In Memoriam: R. Joe Noble, MD, FACC

R. Joe Noble, MD, FACC, an extraordinary cardiovascular teacher and educator, passed away on March 14.

Noble graduated from the Indiana University School of Medicine, subsequently completing an internship at Emory University School of Medicine and residency at Indiana University. Following his fellowship at Emory, Noble served in the military as a Major, USAF and chief of internal medicine at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma. Following his time in the military, Noble returned to Indianapolis, IN, to begin his career as an academic cardiologist, ultimately spending nearly four decades at Northside Cardiology.

A prolific writer, Noble authored more than 300 papers and books. He was also an active local and national ACC leader, serving as governor of the ACC Indiana Chapter, chair of the ACC's Board of Governors and a member of the ACC Board of Trustees. He also held several leadership positions associated with the ACC's Annual Scientific Session, served on the ACCEL Editorial Board and more.

"Still, more important than any award or recognition was his love of treating patients," said his family. "He often started rounds at 5:30 a.m. and saw a record number of patients most days. He would always look for the reasons behind the symptoms and could decide what to do for a complex patient very quickly."

Keywords: Cardiology Magazine, ACC Publications, CM-May-2026, ACC Annual Scientific Session, ACC26, In Memoriam, Fund Raising