James A. Shannon was an American nephrologist who served as director of National Institutes of Health from 1955-1968. James was born on August 9, 1904 in New York City, New York. Shannon received his primary education in the New York City public school system, his secondary education was at St. Augustine's Academy and Brooklyn Prep and College, both in Brooklyn, N.Y. He received a baccalaureate from the College of the Holy Cross in 1925 and an M.D. from the New York University School of Medicine in 1929. He received the National Medal Of Science in 1974. He died on May 20, 1994 in Baltimore, Maryland.