Thomas Noguchi
Medical Examiner
Date Of Birth:
4 January 1927
Place Of Birth:
Japan
Best Known As:
The "Coroner to the Stars"
Thomas Noguchi's 15 years as the chief medical examiner for Los Angeles County earned him the nickname of "Coroner to the Stars." Born in Japan, Thomas Noguchi graduated from Nippon Medical School in 1951. He emigrated to California, and was appointed a deputy coroner for Los Angeles County in 1961. He became the county's chief medical examiner in 1967. As such, he performed or oversaw autopsies on celebrities including Marilyn Monroe, Natalie Wood, and Robert F. Kennedy. Noguchi became a celebrity in his own right, and his high profile made him a somewhat controversial figure. He stepped down as chief coroner in 1982 but continued to work with the county, finally retiring in 1999. His 1983 memoir Coroner was a best-seller.
Extra Credit:
Thomas Noguchi was considered by some to be the model for Jack Klugman‘s character in the TV series Quincy… Thomas Noguchi was president of the National Association of Medical Examiners from 1982-83.
4 Good Links
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1999 USC press release on Noguchi's retirement
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2005 story from The Los Angeles Times news service
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Noguchi discusses his methods in this archived 1986 interview from Omni magazine
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Long audio interview from 1972
See also:
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