Dr. John Hall

Dr. John Emmett Hall (1925–2018) was a renowned orthopedic surgeon and the co-inventor of the Boston Brace.

Over his long career, Dr. Hall was a major influence in the clinical practice of pediatric orthopedics and a pioneer in scoliosis corrective surgery and spinal deformity treatment.

Widely respected for his intellect, commitment to excellence, and respect for the children and families that were his patients, Dr. Hall worked as an orthopaedic registrar at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in London, England from 1954 to 1956, then held a staff position in orthopaedic surgery at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto from 1958 to 1971.

In 1971 he accepted a position as Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at Harvard Medical School and Chief of Clinical Orthopedics at Boston Children’s Hospital, a role he held for 10 years. Soon after arriving in Boston, Dr. Hall collaborated with orthotist Bill Miller to create the Boston Brace system.

Dr. Hall was a founding fellow and president of the Scoliosis Research Society and the president of the Pediatric Orthopedic Society. In 1998, the Harvard Medical School John E. Hall Professorship in Orthopaedic Surgery was established by his colleagues, patients, friends, and donor Phyllis Miller Brewer.