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Worth Noting
Compiled by Estelle Rodis-Brown and Marie Elium

 

Breaking Records at 100
Dr. Howard Tucker Shows Us How

Making it into the Guinness World Records could be a dubious achievement, but in Dr. Howard Tucker’s case, it’s a remarkable claim to fame. The Cleveland neurologist has been practicing medicine since 1947, with no plans to quit.

At over 100 years old, Dr. Tucker is officially the oldest practicing physician in the world… seeing patients twice a week and teaching medical residents at St. Vincent Charity Medical Center in downtown Cleveland. 

A Cleveland native, Dr. Tucker was born on July 10, 1922. After being raised during the Great Depression, young Howard earned his undergraduate degree from The Ohio State University, then enlisted in the U.S. Navy during WWII. He would serve again in the ‘50s during the Korean War as the Chief of Neurology for the Atlantic Fleet. 

Apparently undeterred by difficult tasks, Dr. Tucker also holds a law degree (passing the Ohio Bar Exam in 1989 at age 67 as possibly the oldest person in the USA to do so). An avid skier and climber, he was once airlifted off a mountaintop in the Alps and has survived both COVID-19 and a broken neck.

But never down for long and ever a man of the moment, he is now an emerging TikTok star and the subject of an upcoming feature-length documentary, “What’s Next?” 

When the Guinness World Records asked if he would ever retire, Dr. Tucker’s response was swift: “Gosh, no. I believe retirement is the enemy of longevity. Even in my younger years, I never once contemplated retirement.”

How does he do it? Adaptability is key. Dr. Tucker says that he works hard to master technology so he can care for patients and teach medical residents. 

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