Dr. Thomas Dooley Vietnam-Laos "Jungle Doctor" Congressional Gold Medal 1961

Doctor Thomas Dooley was a celebrity when I was in junior high school in the early 1960's.

There was a curious incident where I filled out a school form and put the name of our family doctor who was John Dooley. A kid who took the forms to the school office changed the name "John" to "Tom".

I knew Dr. Thomas Dooley was awarded a US government medal then and recently I became curious about the medal.

I found and purchased a 3" bronze version from the usual source.


Dr. Thomas Dooley 3" bronze medal

Obverse: Dr. Dooley facing right DR. THOMAS A. DOOLEY III
Reverse: Dr. Dooley standing, holding child, four people standing
IN RECOGNITION OF THE PUBLIC SERVICE TO ALLEVIATE SUFFERING AMONG PEOPLE OF THE WORLD
TO DR. THOMAS ANTHONY DOOLEY III - AUTHORIZED BY CONGRESS - MAY 27 1961
The medal was designed by US Mint artist Frank Gasparro.

Dr. Dooley was born Thomas Anthony Dooley III to a wealthy St. Louis Irish-Catholic family in 1927. He spent two years at Notre Dame University and then graduated from Saint Louis University medical school in 1953.

He joined the US Navy and was sent to Haiphong, Vietnam, as part of the effort to move refugees from North Vietnam to South Vietnam. He wrote three popular books about his work which made him well known in America.

He left the Navy in 1956 and moved to Laos where he established a small medical clinic and an American non-profit group to finance it. He would visit the United States and appearances on television programs for fundraising made him even more well-known.

In June 1958 the folk singing group "The Kingston Trio" released their song "Tom Dooley" which became a tremendous hit selling several million copies. The song made the name even more famous although it had nothing to do with Dr. Dooley. Those of us living in the 1950's remember "Hang down your head, Tom Dooley, hang down your head and cry".

Dr. Dooley died in January of 1961 of a disease he may have contracted in Laos or Vietnam.

In 1997, James T. Fisher wrote a biography, Dr. America - The Lives of Thomas A. Dooley 1927-1961 which gives much more information on the life and careers of Dr. Dooley.

In May 1961 the US Congress voted to authorize a Congressional Gold Medal to Dr. Dooley. It was presented by President Kennedy in June 1962 to his mother. President Kennedy used the example of Dr. Dooley to promote his Peace Corps program.

The Congressional Gold Medal is sometimes confused with the Congressional Medal of Honor, a medal for military courage. The medal is usually awarded to celebrities, awardees have been movie stars, politicians, generals, and groups. Single recipients get the three-inch gold medal weighing around 14 oz.

The US Mint strikes these medals and sells bronze 3" and 1.5" copies to the public.