2025, Bronze Medalist
Dr. David S. Walton (Professor of Ophthalmology, Part-time, at Harvard Medical School) … a 50-year career in pediatric ophthalmology. Dr. Walton grew up in Brigantine Island, New Jersey, where much of his childhood and adolescence was spent with his classmates, exploring the beach and occasionally going to high school via boat. He worked in his family’s restaurant and became a lifeguard. Dr. Walton cultivated an early interest in ophthalmology while still in high school by observing the surgeries of Dr. Robison Harley, including his first cataract extraction. He later attended Haverford College, playing baseball and majoring in chemistry and engineering, and the Duke University Medical School. Following a residency in pediatrics at Boston Children’s Hospital he served his country with the 3rd Recon battalion, United States Marine Corps, in Asia. After completing his military service, Dr. Walton was offered an ophthalmology residency at Children’s Hospital with Dr. David Cogan, and later a position, but not before Dr. Morton Grant introduced him to the challenges and opportunities to help children with glaucoma. Dr. Walton’s success in this area led to the creation of the Children’s Glaucoma Foundation, which has assisted families and supported work to understand aniridic keratopathy, including research into the mechanisms of infantile aphakic glaucoma and how to finally prevent this disease.