People
June 10, 2011
Endowed chair established in honor of urologist
Fray F. Marshall
Emory School of Medicine's Department of Urology has established an endowed chair to honor Fray F. Marshall, Ada Lee and Pete Correll Professor of Urology. To date, 85 people—most of them grateful patients—have contributed to the fund.
"We have many new initiatives and plans that are possible because of the vision of Dr. Marshall, truly a giant not only in urology but in medicine," says Chad Ritenour, associate professor of urology and interim chair.
The Fray F. Marshall Chair in Urology will be devoted to research. According to Marshall, combining the research efforts of diverse scientists with practicing clinicians is required for innovation and improved medical treatments in the future, and this chair will help ensure that legacy.
"Fray Marshall embodies all of the things a named chair represents," says School of Medicine Dean Thomas J. Lawley. "He is a strong leader, an accomplished innovator, a compassionate clinician, and an exemplary educator. His entire career has been spent in service to the advancement of medicine and the health of his patients. He has led Emory Urology from a division of general surgery to an internationally recognized department, and his commitment to his patients is unparalleled."
Among the contributors is Chuck Warren, who credits Marshall with saving his life and who now serves as chair of the Department of Urology Board of Advisors.
"Naming a research chair in honor of Fray Marshall is such an appropriate tribute to his career," Warren says. "When Fray was named chairman of Emory Urology, his goal was to lead the department to be one of the nation's most respected urology departments, and he succeeded in record time. In fact, three out of four medical school graduates applying for a urology residency apply to Emory. This translates to more than 275 applicants a year for only three available spots."
An academic chair is the most prestigious of named academic positions. Such chairs recognize extraordinary achievements and leadership and help recruit and retain top-level clinicians, teachers, and researchers who have done work of marked importance, often on a national or international level.
On March 13 at the Cherokee Town and Country Club, 125 colleagues, former patients, friends and family members attended an event to honor Marshall and celebrate the endowment. The evening included remarks by those who work most closely with Marshall and a formal presentation of the chair by Lawley.
