calsfoundation@cals.org
March 12, 2012
Samuel Lee Kountz Jr., a native of Phillips County, was a physician and pioneer in organ transplantation. In 1961, he performed the first kidney transplant between a recipient and a donor who were not identical twins. Four years later, he performed the first renal transplant in Egypt. During his medical career, he performed more than 500 kidney transplants. Kountz died on December 23, 1981.