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With the death earlier this week of James LeVoy Sorenson, Utah has lost one of its most distinguished citizens.
The fact he was identified as Utah's "richest man" certainly set him apart from the masses. Forbes magazine last year listed his wealth at $4.5 billion. That placed him 67th on the list of richest Americans.
But it is how he earned his fortune, and especially how he used it that underscored his repute as both an innovative genius and a generous philanthropist. From humble beginnings in Rexburg, Idaho he rose to become one of the most accomplished entrepreneur's of his time.
Sorenson's inventions revolutionized medical science: a computerized heart monitor; the disposable paper surgical mask; a plastic venous catheter; and a blood recycling system for trauma and surgical procedures. In all, he held some 40 medical patents.
His focus in recent years, aside from giving millions to worthy causes, was his Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation. It became his passion to establish a worldwide and correlated genetic and genealogical database to be used for ancestry and medical research.
Primarily, Jim Sorenson believed in using his wealth to improve society and benefit others. For that generosity, along with his insatiable curiosity, people throughout Utah, indeed the world can be grateful.
