Ralph L. Willard, DO | 1981-1985
Dr. Willard, the son of two osteopathic physicians, had been a decorated World War
II bomber pilot, a successful surgeon in his native state of Iowa and assistant dean
for clinical affairs at the Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine
when he assumed the position of dean of the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine
in 1975. He became the second president of TCOM in May 1981 when the North Texas State
University Board of Regents and the Legislature signaled their confidence in the development
of the medical school as a separate institution by creating the position of president
of TCOM. They also stipulated that the president must be an osteopathic physician
and would be
responsible to the Board through a Chancellor who would serve both institutions.
Dr. Willard led the evolution of TCOM’s physical presence from a renovated bowling
alley and assorted leased facilities into a modern campus of significant impact in
Fort Worth’s renowned Cultural District. The eight-story Medical Education Building
1 (now Administration and Education) was completed in 1978 and the five-story Medical
Education Building 2 (now Research and Education) – which finally brought together
all basic science teaching and research in one area – was completed in 1982. Despite
depressed economic conditions in Texas and legislative concern over the expenditure
of funds, Dr. Willard persisted in his call for construction allocations from the
State, and groundbreaking for TCOM’s third and most architecturally striking building
was held in 1984, nine months before Dr. Willard left his post as president. Dr. Willard
received the TCOM
Founder’s Medal in 1985 and was named associate dean of the West Virginia School of
Osteopathic Medicine in 1988.
During Dr. Willard’s tenure as dean and president, TCOM also issued two of three groundbreaking goals statements that would permanently guide the school’s areas of emphasis: education, research and community service. The statements defined how the people and programs of TCOM should contribute to finding solutions to America’s health care problems, to preventing disease and to fostering collaborative biomedical research initiatives.