Eugene Anson Stead Jr. (October 6, 1908 in Atlanta, Georgia – June 12, 2005) is best known as a physician, medical educator, and researcher. He served on the faculties at Harvard, Emory (where he received a Bachelor of Science and MD degree), and Duke universities. His research in the 1940s paved the way for cardiac catheterization in medicine today. He is the founder of the physician assistant (PA) profession.