I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 8542 

To award a Congressional Gold Medal to Dr. Joseph B. Kirsner, in recognition of his service to the United States during World War II and 

his contributions to the medical field, particularly gastroenterology. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 23, 2024 

Mr. MAST introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 

on Financial Services 

A BILL 

To award a Congressional Gold Medal to Dr. Joseph B. 

Kirsner, in recognition of his service to the United States 

during World War II and his contributions to the medical field, particularly gastroenterology. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Dr. Joseph B. Kirsner 

5 Congressional Gold Medal Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 The Congress finds the following: 


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1 (1) Dr. Joseph B. Kirsner was born to Ukrain2 ian Jewish immigrants Harris and Ida Kirsner on 

3 September 21, 1909, in Boston, Massachusetts. 

4 (2) Dr. Kirsner earned his medical degree from 

5 Tufts University, graduating near the top of his 

6 class, in 1933. 

7 (3) In 1935, Dr. Kirsner joined the staff of the 

8 first academic gastroenterology unit in the United 

9 States at the University of Chicago. 

10 (4) Dr. Kirsner earned his PhD in gastro11 enterology from the University of Chicago in 1942. 

12 (5) Dr. Kirsner joined the United States Army 

13 Medical Corps as a First Lieutenant in September 

14 1943 and served three years with the 15th, 203rd, 

15 and 229th General Hospitals. 

16 (6) Dr. Kirsner was one of the few doctors con17 sulted on the refeeding of Holocaust survivors. 

18 (7) Dr. Kirsner continuously fought to increase 

19 and diversify research funding for gastroenterology. 

20 (8) In 1962, Dr. Kirsner, along with a group 

21 of his patients, the Section of Gastroenterology, and 

22 the University of Chicago established the Gastro-In23 testinal Research Foundation. 

24 (9) Dr. Kirsner received every major award and 

25 honor for gastroenterology throughout his career, exVerDate Sep 11 2014 03:57 Jul 10, 2024 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8542.IH H8542

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1 cept the one award he was ineligible to win, the 

2 American Digestive Health Foundation’s top prize 

3 for excellence in clinical research, the Joseph B. 

4 Kirsner Award. 

5 (10) Dr. Kirsner was a pioneer in gastro6 enterology who dedicated his life to medicine, teach7 ing, and patient care. 

8 (11) Dr. Kirsner conducted invaluable research 

9 on peptic ulcers, inflammatory bowel disease, colitis, 

10 and Crohn’s disease, and made numerous break11 throughs in the field on patient management and 

12 cancer risk. 

13 (12) Dr. Kirsner trained over 200 fellows, in14 cluding more than 41 full professors, and 14 depart15 ment chairs in gastroenterology. 

16 (13) Throughout his career Dr. Kirsner au17 thored over 750 scientific papers and 18 textbooks, 

18 which are the leading teaching materials on gastro19 enterology. 

20 (14) Dr. Kirsner was instrumental in founding 

21 the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endos22 copy, the American Association for the Study of 

23 Liver Diseases, the Gastroenterology Research 

24 Group (American Gastroenterological Association), 


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1 and the National Foundation for Research in Ulcer2 ative Colitis, among others. 

3 (15) Dr. Kirsner continued to treat patients 

4 until he retired in 2010, at the age of 100. 

5 (16) Dr. Kirsner passed away from kidney fail6 ure on July 7, 2012, in Chicago, Illinois. 

7 (17) The Congress has awarded similar medals 

8 to other doctors for their outstanding contributions 

9 to the medical field, including Major Walter Reed 

10 and his associates in 1928, Dr. Thomas Anthony 

11 Dooley III in 1961, Dr. Jonas E. Salk in 1977, and 

12 Dr. Michael Ellis DeBakey in 2007. 

13 SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL. 

14 (a) AWARD AUTHORIZED.—The Speaker of the 

15 House of Representatives and the President pro tempore 

16 of the Senate shall make appropriate arrangements for the 

17 award, on behalf of the Congress, of a single gold medal 

18 of appropriate design to Dr. Joseph B. Kirsner, in rec19 ognition of his service to the United States during World 

20 War II and his contributions to the medical field, particu21 larly gastroenterology. 

22 (b) DESIGN AND STRIKING.—For the purposes of the 

23 award referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary of the 

24 Treasury (hereafter in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Sec25 retary’’) shall strike the gold medal with suitable emblems, 


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1 devices, and inscriptions, to be determined by the Sec2 retary. The design shall bear an image of, and inscription 

3 of the name of, Dr. Joseph B. Kirsner. 

4 (c) JOSEPH B. KIRSNER LIBRARY.— 

5 (1) IN GENERAL.—After the award of the gold 

6 medal referred to in subsection (a), the gold medal 

7 shall be given to the University of Chicago, where it 

8 shall be displayed as appropriate in the Joseph B. 

9 Kirsner library and made available for research. 

10 (2) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of 

11 Congress that the University of Chicago should 

12 make the gold medal received under paragraph (1) 

13 available for display elsewhere, particularly at other 

14 locations and events associated with Dr. Joseph B. 

15 Kirsner. 

16 SEC. 4. DUPLICATE MEDALS. 

17 The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in 

18 bronze of the gold medal struck under section 3, at a price 

19 sufficient to cover the cost thereof, including labor, mate20 rials, dies, use of machinery, and overhead expenses. 

21 SEC. 5. STATUS OF MEDALS. 

22 (a) NATIONAL MEDALS.—Medals struck pursuant to 

23 this Act are national medals for purposes of chapter 51 

24 of title 31, United States Code. 


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1 (b) NUMISMATIC ITEMS.—For purposes of sections 

2 5134 and 5136 of title 31, United States Code, all medals 

3 struck under this Act shall be considered to be numismatic 

4 items. 

5 SEC. 6. AUTHORITY TO USE FUND AMOUNTS; PROCEEDS OF 

6 SALE. 

7 (a) AUTHORITY TO USE FUND AMOUNTS.—There is 

8 authorized to be charged against the United States Mint 

9 Public Enterprise Fund such amounts as may be nec10 essary to pay for the costs of the medals struck under 

11 this Act. 

12 (b) PROCEEDS OF SALE.—Amounts received from the 

13 sale of duplicate bronze medals authorized under section 

14 4 shall be deposited into the United States Mint Public 

15 Enterprise Fund. 

Æ 


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