After over 1,100 entries, the Earl Bakken Legacy Collection is complete. The many hours I spent working on sorting, organizing, and recording the materials in this collection flew by. I learned so much about Earl, especially semi-retired Earl, who couldn’t stop working to help people feel and be their best.

While science is often about looking forward, it’s also important to reflect on the past. And sometimes, an item can serve as a reminder to pause and remember how far we’ve come.

Whale EKG Reading from The Bakken Museum’s artifact collection in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Made by Earl Bakken, Dr. Frits Meijler, His Royal Highness Prince Bernhard, Dr. Hein Wellens, Ken Brennanl Bakken, Dr. Frits Meijler, His Royal Highness Prince Bernhard, Dr. Hein Wellens, Ken Brennan

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.

The Portable Pacemaker, Model 5800, is the third iteration of Earl Bakken’s battery-operated pacemaker and the first one available to doctors outside the University of Minnesota.