Earl Bakken’s Doctor Bag

Often, Earl Bakken was asked to speak about what had inspired his life of innovating. For many of these talks, he brought along this leather bag filled with the things he thought most important to share. Inside was a portion of his pacemaker collection, including his white 5800, Medtronic’s Adapta devices made in the 2000s, and several demo devices with Medtronic’s mission statement printed on them.

This bag contained much more than pacemakers. To inspire others, Earl talked about what inspired him. He’d show off a mechanical metronome, the inspiration for his original pacemaker design, and a stethoscope and artificial heart valve to serve as a reminder of the broader medical device community. While Frankenstein had been such a huge inspiration for Earl, rest assured, there is no severed monster hand in this bag, though a handwritten note in the bag’s pocket includes the monster among his many inspirations. This doctor bag is like a time capsule of some things that inspired him throughout his lifelong commitment to finding ways to make others healthier.

Maker: Medtronic and Various Others
Date of Creation: 1950s-2010s

Curator’s Note:

This piece was donated to The Bakken Museum by its founder, Earl Bakken, upon his passing as part of an extensive collection that we are currently preparing for the public. Over the next few months, keep your eyes out for more sneak peeks!