Vivien Thomas

Blalock said, 'Even the Lord hasn't made a perfect man,' and I said, 'No, but you're trying.'

We were pioneers in a new field, and the rules hadn't been written.

I taught the surgeons the technique, and they did the operating.

The heart is a remarkable organ, but it's just a pump. You have to understand the plumbing.

Precision is everything. A slip of the hand could mean a child's life.

They called me 'Mr. Thomas' in the lab, and that was respect enough for me.

I never thought of myself as making history. I was just doing my job.

The blue baby operation wasn't a miracle; it was the result of years of work.

You learn more from a failure than from a dozen successes.

My hands were my tools, and my mind was the blueprint.

I didn't have a degree, but I had something more important: I had the knowledge.

The dogs in the lab weren't just animals; they were our teachers.

Dr. Blalock provided the opportunity, but I had to prove I could do the work.

Surgery is a team effort, no matter who stands at the head of the table.

You can't let prejudice stop you. You have to be better than they expect.

The greatest satisfaction was seeing a child turn from blue to pink.

I built the instruments because the ones we had wouldn't do the job.

A steady hand and a calm mind are the surgeon's greatest assets.

I was paid as a janitor, but I worked as a research assistant.

Knowledge is the one thing they can't take away from you.