William S. Pierce

William S. Pierce, born on 12 January 1937, is an American cardiothoracic surgeon and chemical engineer who led the development of the first pneumatic heart assist pump. The Pierce-Donachy Ventricular Assist Device, also known as the Penn State Assist Pump, was designated an International Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers in 1990. Born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, he studied chemical engineering at Lehigh University and took his medical degree at the University of Pennsylvania in 1962. He joined the new College of Medicine at Pennsylvania State University in 1970, became professor of surgery in 1977 and chief of its Division of Artificial Organs, and built a group working on mechanical circulatory support and the artificial heart. He is considered a father of the ventricular assist device.