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Thomas Noguchi Biography
Medical Examiner
Thomas Noguchi's 15 years as the chief medical examiner for Los Angeles County earned him the sardonic nickname of "Coroner to the Stars." Noguchi graduated from Nippon Medical School in 1951; he was appointed a deputy coroner for Los Angeles County in 1961 and 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: Noguchi was widely considered to be the model for Jack Klugman's character in the TV series Quincy... Noguchi was president of the National Association of Medical Examiners from 1982-83.
The coroner stars with Monroe and John Belushi in the loop Autopsy By Noguchi. He also makes a cameo appearance in our loop Death by Yacht.
Blog posts mentioning Thomas Noguchi:
Four Good Links
'Coroner to the Stars' Noguchi Retires
1999 USC press release on Noguchi's retirement
'Coroner to the Stars' Fashioned His Own Bully Pulpit
2005 story from The Los Angeles Times news service
Interview: Thomas Noguchi
Noguchi discusses his methods in this archived 1986 interview from Omni magazine
Los Angeles County Coroner's Office
The official site of Noguchi's old employer; includes a gift shop (!)