Index of Named Professorships A-C

W. Allen Addison, MD Professor

GIVEN BY THE FAMILY, FRIENDS, TRAINEES, FACULTY COLLEAGUES, AND ASSOCIATES OF W. ALLEN ADDISON, MD

Dr. Addison, a nationally recognized Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgeon with lifelong ties to Duke, was an innovator in the sub-specialty of urogynecology and a mentor to many. A consummate physician, surgeon and teacher, he was a true giant in the field of women’s healthcare and instrumental in the training of many future ob/gyn physicians during his many years at Duke.

The W. Allen Addison, MD Professorship is vacant. The School of Medicine looks forward to filling this professorship in the near future.

Onyekwere E. Akwari, MD, Endowed Professor

GIVEN BY DUKE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE

Dr. Onyekwere Akwari was the first African-American surgeon on the faculty of Duke University. He was a compassionate physician, a dedicated mentor, and a champion for underrepresented minorities and women in the field of medicine. He received his medical degree from the University of Southern California School of Medicine in 1970 and joined the general surgery training program at the Mayo Clinic. His research focused on the neural and hormonal regulation of gastrointestinal motility. During a six-month hiatus from Mayo, he designed an Emergency Medicine Residency Program for Martin Luther King Jr./Drew Medical Center for the Southeast Health Region of Los Angeles County. Dr. Akwari joined the Duke faculty in 1978 and forged the way for many Black academic surgeons after him—both at Duke and across the country. In 1989, he organized the first national meeting of the Society of Black Academic Surgeons, which was held at Duke University. Dr. Akwari died in 2019.

This professorship was created to honor Dr. Onyekwere Akwari’s legacy, and to support a faculty member who has distinction in the field of surgery and shares commitments to equitable and compassionate care of patients and to mutual respect and collegiality among all who are called to care for patients, as Dr. Akwari did during his decades-long career in medicine.

Distinguished Professor of Anesthesiology

Given by Duke University

Duke University established this professorship in 2005 to support a scholar of true eminence and excellence in the field of anesthesiology.

The five additional Distinguished Professorships in Anesthesiology are vacant. The School of Medicine looks forward to filling these professorships in the near future.

Banks Anderson Sr. Chair of Ophthalmology

GIVEN BY THE PATIENTS, COLLEAGUES, AND FRIENDS OF DR. W. BANKS ANDERSON, JR.

Dr. W. Banks Anderson Jr. is a graduate of Princeton University, and he received his MD from Harvard University. His internship and residency in ophthalmology were at Duke University Medical Center. This professorship was created to recognize Dr. Anderson's three decades of contributions to the field of ophthalmology, including inserting the first intraocular lens in 1975. Dr. Anderson is Professor Emeritus of Ophthalmology.

The Banks Anderson Sr. Chair of Ophthalmology is vacant. The School of Medicine looks forward to filling this professorship in the near future.

Robert C. Atkins, MD, and Veronica Atkins Professor of Pediatrics

Given by the Dr. Robert C. And Veronica Atkins Foundation

Robert C. Atkins, MD, founded and was medical chair of the Atkins Center for Complementary Medicine and author of Dr. Atkins’ New Diet Revolution, a New York Times bestseller for nearly six years. The Atkins Foundation funds independent scientific research examining the role of metabolism and nutrition in obesity, diabetes, cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and other serious health problems. Atkins died in 2003.

Virginia Flowers Baker Professors of Orthopaedic Surgery

GIVEN BY LENOX D. BAKER, ROBERT FLOWERS BAKER, AND LENOX D. BAKER JR.

Lenox D. Baker, MD, was a member of Duke University School of Medicine’s first four-year graduating class in 1934. After training in orthopaedics at Johns Hopkins, he returned to Duke as an assistant professor of orthopaedic surgery and then chief of the Division of Orthopaedic Surgery. Baker led the establishment of the North Carolina Cerebral Palsy Hospital (now the Lenox Baker Children’s Hospital), and served as medical director until his retirement. Baker and his sons established this endowment in memory of their wife and mother, Virginia Flowers Baker, daughter of Duke University President Robert Lee Flowers.

Richard and Kit Barkhouser Professor of Ophthalmology

GIVEN BY RICHARD G. AND KIT BARKHOUSER

A native of Arkansas, Richard G. Barkhouser served in the U.S. Navy, held a chartered accountant degree from the University of Madrid, and was president of Barkhouser Ford in Danville, Virginia. He and his wife, Kit, generously supported glaucoma research through the Barkhouser Clinical Research Unit, the Albert Eye Research Institute, and the fund for the Duke Eye Center clinical expansion. Barkhouser was chair emeritus of the Eye Center Advisory Board. He died in 2016. This endowment was established in 2007 and supports a professor in the field of glaucoma.

Frank H. Bassett III, MD, Associate Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery

GIVEN BY FRIENDS OF FRANK BASSETT AND DUKE UNIVERSITY

Bassett earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Kentucky, where he played football under legendary head coach Paul “Bear” Bryant. He joined the Duke Medical Center in 1963. He served as team physician from 1966 to 1993 in several capacities, including director of the sports medicine center, head team physician for Duke Athletics, and professor of orthopaedic surgery. Upon his retirement, Bassett was inducted into the Duke Sports Hall of Fame. He also was a founding member of the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine. This endowment was established in 2004 in his honor. Bassett died in 2007.

Joseph W. and Dorothy W. Beard Professors

GIVEN BY JOSEPH W. BEARD, DOROTHY W. BEARD, AND DUKE UNIVERSITY

Joseph W. Beard, MD, joined Duke’s faculty in 1937. In 1938, his research group—including his wife, Dorothy W. Beard, a Vanderbilt School of Nursing alumna—developed the first usable equine encephalomyelitis vaccine, and identified viruses that cause leukemia in chickens. They were also the first to report tangible evidence of viruses associated with human leukemia. Joseph Beard was named a James B. Duke Professor of Surgery in 1946 and a professor of virology in 1965. Duke University established this professorship to honor the Beards and the couple contributed through their estate plans.

Mary Bernheim Professor of Medicine

EPONYMOUS

Mary Hare Bernheim, PhD, earned undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral degrees from the University of Cambridge. While a graduate student, she discovered an enzyme that was found to play a significant role in mood regulation. Bernheim joined the original faculty of Duke University School of Medicine in 1930, and—the lone woman in the Department of Biochemistry—was named full professor in 1962. At her death in 1997, she was the last surviving member of the original medical school faculty. An enthusiastic aviator, she authored the book A Sky of My Own, which was nominated in 1959 by the North Carolina Board of Awards for literary competitions. Eponymous professorships are created by Duke University to honor individuals who have contributed significantly to the history of the institution.

George and Geneva  Boguslavsky Professor of Ophthalmology

GIVEN BY GEORGE W. AND GENEVA BOGUSLAVSKY

George W. Boguslavsky, PhD, was educated in Russia and China before coming to the U.S. in 1930. He completed BA and MS degrees in psychology at the University of Washington. Earning a PhD in psychology from Cornell, he was hired by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute to develop a top-tier psychology department of which he served as chairman for 20 years. Boguslavsky originally studied under Howard Liddell and furthered research in mathematical modeling of Pavlovian classical conditioning. He and his wife Geneva were married for 63 years. This endowment was created through their estate plans.

Morris N. Broad Distinguished Professor

GIVEN BY THE RUTH K. BROAD FOUNDATION, THE SHEPHARD BROAD FOUNDATION, AND THE BUSSEL FAMILY

The Morris N. Broad Distinguished Professorship is named to honor the life and service of Morris N. Broad, who was known among his family and friends for his personal warmth, excellent judgment, and enthusiastic support of basic neuroscience research. A philanthropist and former president of American Savings and Loan, Broad served as Director and Vice President of the Ruth K. Broad Biomedical Research Foundation, Inc., from its inception in 1988 until his death in 2016. The Foundation honors the memory of Ruth K. Broad, Morris Broad’s mother, and aims to expand knowledge to understand the causes of Alzheimer’s disease and work toward a cure by funding research in the neurosciences. In the early 1990s, the Foundation became a support corporation of Duke University.

The Morris N. Broad Distinguished Professorship is vacant. The School of Medicine looks forward to filling this professorship in the near future.

Every professorship has a great story. Read more about this one.

W. Lester Brooks Jr. Professor of Medicine

GIVEN BY DR. W. LESTER BROOKS JR. AND PATTY BROOKS

W. Lester Brooks Jr., MD, was a 1947 graduate of Duke University School of Medicine. After continuing his training at the Medical College of Virginia and at University Hospitals in Cleveland, Brooks and his wife, Patty, moved to Charlotte, North Carolina, where he established a private practice as a family physician. In retirement, he established the Brooks Laboratory for Back Pain Research at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte. In 2003, the Brookses established this endowment to support a faculty member in the field of rheumatology. W. Lester Brooks died in 2012; Mrs. Brooks passed away in 2021.

Haywood Brown, MD Distinguished Professor of Women’s Health

GIVEN BY DR. STEVEN SCOTT AND REBECCA SCOTT

Haywood L. Brown, MD, is the first African-American chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Duke and the F. Bayard Carter Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Obstetrics and Gynecology. A maternal and fetal medicine specialist, Brown cares for women at high-risk for adverse outcomes, particularly women from underserved communities, and has long been involved in the research of substance abuse and its effects on mothers and children. Brown, a North Carolina native, received his undergraduate degree from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in Greensboro and his medical degree from Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem. He completed his training in obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Tennessee Center for Health Sciences in Knoxville, followed by subspecialty fellowship training in maternal and fetal medicine at Emory University School of Medicine/Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta.

George W. Brumley Jr., MD, Assistant Professor

GIVEN BY THE ZEIST FOUNDATION

George W. Brumley Jr., MD, founded Duke’s Division of Neonatology in 1972 and served as its co-director until 1981. He then chaired the Department of Pediatrics at Emory University for 14 years before retiring to devote more time to philanthropy. He and his wife Jean Stanback Brumley founded The Zeist Foundation in 1989 as a way to teach their five children the importance of philanthropy. In 1997, with chief of Duke's Division of of Neonatology Dr. Ronald Goldberg, Dr. Brumley established the Jean and George Brumley Jr. Neonatal-Perinatal Research Institute at Duke to focus on medical issues affecting premature infants, sick newborns, and at-risk pregnant women. In 2003, Dr. and Mrs. Brumley, three of their children, and seven members of their extended family died in a tragic plane crash in Kenya.The Zeist Foundation established this professorship in memory of the Brumleys. Today The Foundation continues the Brumley family's philanthropic legacy by taking a holistic approach to address the needs of underserved children in the areas of human services, education, and arts & culture.

Jean and George W. Brumley Jr., MD, Professor of Pediatrics

GIVEN BY THE ZEIST FOUNDATION

George W. Brumley Jr., MD, founded Duke’s Division of Neonatology in 1972 and served as its co-director until 1981. He then chaired the Department of Pediatrics at Emory University for 14 years before retiring to devote more time to philanthropy. He and his wife Jean Stanback Brumley founded The Zeist Foundation in 1989 as a way to teach their five children the importance of philanthropy. In 1997, with chief of Duke's Division of of Neonatology Dr. Ronald Goldberg, Dr. Brumley established the Jean and George Brumley Jr. Neonatal-Perinatal Research Institute at Duke to focus on medical issues affecting premature infants, sick newborns, and at-risk pregnant women. In 2003, Dr. and Mrs. Brumley, three of their children, and seven members of their extended family died in a tragic plane crash in Kenya. In 2006, The Zeist Foundation established this professorship in developmental biology in memory of the Brumleys. Today The Foundation continues the Brumley family's philanthropic legacy by taking a holistic approach to address the needs of underserved children in the areas of human services, education, and arts & culture.

E. Fulton Brylawski Associate Professor of Women’s Health

GIVEN BY E. FULTON BRYLAWSKI

Mr. E. Fulton "Bud" Brylawski established this professorship through his estate to memorialize Nancy Weaver Emerson, to promote women's health, and to benefit the many women patients who struggle with cancer. A Duke employee and an inspiration to all, Ms. Weaver Emerson fought a 20-year battle with cancer before passing away in 2003.

Mr. Brylawski was a member of the Duke Cancer Institute Board of Advisors for several years. He died in 2017 at age 92.

The E. Fulton Brylawski Associate Professorship in Women’s Health is vacant. The School of Medicine looks forward to filling this professorship in the near future.

Butler-Harris Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology

GIVEN BY DUKE UNIVERSITY

This endowment was established in 1997 by the Department of Radiation Oncology under the direction of then-chair Edward C. Halperin, MD. Its intent was to encourage and support women and under-represented populations in radiation oncology. The endowment honors the memory of two individuals who were important to the Duke Radiation Oncology team: Alisa Butler, radiation therapist, and Lucille Harris, licensed practical nurse.

J. Lamar Callaway Professor of Dermatology

GIVEN BY FRIENDS OF J. LAMAR CALLAWAY

J. Lamar Callaway, MD, was a member of Duke University School of Medicine’s second graduating class. He joined the faculty as its first dermatologist and later became the Division of Dermatology’s first chief. Named a James B. Duke Professor in 1967, Callaway served as division chief until 1975. Callaway was president of the American Academy of Dermatology, the American Dermatological Association, the American Board of Dermatology, and the Society of Investigative Dermatology. He also received the American Academy of Dermatology Gold Medal. This professorship was established by former Duke dermatology residents, colleagues, and friends.

F. Bayard Carter Chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology

GIVEN BY F. BAYARD CARTER SOCIETY OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY

In 1969, 15 former obstetrics and gynecology residents, who called themselves the Nick Carter Travel Club, established this professorship to honor their mentor, F. Bayard "Nick" Carter, MD, upon his retirement. Dr. F. Bayard Carter was the first Chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Duke University from 1931 to 1964. He continued to practice in Durham, North Carolina, for many years and died in 1976. The Nick Carter Travel Club has been renamed The F. Bayard Carter Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

The F. Bayard Carter Chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology is vacant. The School of Medicine looks forward to filling this professorship in the near future.

Chancellor's Distinguished Professor

GIVEN BY DUKE HEALTH

The newly established Chancellor’s Professorships recognize School of Medicine faculty members who have achieved the highest level of excellence and impact in scientific discovery and its translation. The creation of new Chancellor Distinguished Professorships will enable faculty recruitment related to the Duke Science & Technology Initiative and other key research priorities.

Richard Hall Chaney Sr. Professor of Otolaryngology

GIVEN BY RICHARD HALL CHANEY, SR. AND DUKE UNIVERSITY

Richard Hall Chaney Sr. was co-founder and chief executive officer of Chaney Enterprises, Ltd. His personal experience with throat cancer led him and his wife Mary Mac Chaney to establish this professorship in 1996 in honor of his Duke physician, William J. Richtsmeier, MD, PhD, to support research in the Division of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. Mr. Chaney died in 1999, and Mrs. Chaney passed in 2010.

The Chen Family Associate Professor of Pediatric Genetics and Genomics

GIVEN BY Y.T. CHEN

Dr. Y.T. Chen, MD, PhD, led a Duke research team in conducting human trials of a new drug, Myozyme, to treat Pompe disease, a once-fatal glycogen storage disease, in three infants. Successful outcomes led to the 2006 FDA approval of the drug, which is now used worldwide. Over the years Dr. Chen and his wife Alice have generously supported Duke's Department of Pediatrics, including by establishing this associate/assistant professorship.

C.L. and Su Chen Professor of Pediatrics

GIVEN BY Y.T. CHEN AND ALICE CHEN

Dr. Y.T. Chen, MD, PhD, led a Duke research team in conducting human trials of a new drug, Myozyme, to treat Pompe disease, a once-fatal glycogen storage disease, in three infants. Successful outcomes led to the 2006 FDA approval of the drug, which is now used worldwide. Dr. Chen and his wife Alice established this professorship in 2009, renaming it to honor his parents for their 70th wedding anniversary in 2011.

Every professorship has a great story. Read more about this one.

James and Alice Chen Professor of Radiology

GIVEN BY FRIENDS OF JAMES AND ALICE CHEN

James Chen, MD, was a professor in Duke’s Department of Radiology, director of its basic clinical clerkship from 1983 to 1986, and director of the Cardiopulmonary Radiology Service from 1976 to 2002. Chen was a four-time winner of the Department of Radiology Teacher of the Year Award and a 1990 recipient of both the Duke Medical Alumni Association’s Distinguished Teaching Award and the Thomas D. Kinney, MD, Teaching Award. This professorship was established in 2002 by patients, friends, and colleagues to honor Chen and his wife, Alice. Chen died in 2006.

James R. Clapp Professor of Medicine

GIVEN BY FRIENDS OF JAMES R. CLAPP

Duke University alumnus James R. Clapp, MD, earned  a medical degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. After completing an internship and  residency at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, and a postdoctoral research fellowship with the U.S. Public Health Service, he was an investigator at the National Heart Institute. He returned to  Duke as an associate professor in nephrology, focusing on kidney research and treating advanced kidney disease and hypertension. Clapp also was director of the Duke Center for Living’s Andrew G. Wallace, MD, Clinic and founding director of the Duke Executive Health Program. Upon his retirement, patients, friends, and colleagues honored him with this professorship.

William Cleland Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

EPONYMOUS

Durham native William A. Cleland, MD, dedicated his life to caring for children. He completed medical school at Howard University, followed by an internship at Freedmen’s Hospital in Washington, D.C. In 1936, with support from Dean Wilburt Davison, MD, of Duke’s School of Medicine and Clyde Donnell, MD. Cleland obtained a Julius Rosenwald Fund fellowship for specialty training in pediatrics at New York University. He then returned home to Durham, the first African American pediatrician in North Carolina. Cleland had a large private practice and ran four well-baby clinics for the Durham County Health Department. Eponymous professorships are created by Duke University to honor individuals who have contributed significantly to the history of the institution.

The Cless Family Neuro-Oncology Professor

GIVEN BY GERHARD AND RUTH CLESS

Since their son Bryan was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2002, Ruth and Gerhard "Gary" Cless have been ambassadors for finding a cure for brain tumors. They believe relevant knowledge is being gained at an accelerating rate and there is no shortage of ideas—just a shortage of funds. 

Sandra Coates Associate Professor

GIVEN BY KENNETH COATES, ELIZABETH COATES, DOUGLAS COATES, AND JENNIFER COATES RASMUSSEN

In 1995, in the wake of his wife Sandy’s death from metastatic breast cancer, Kenneth Coates and his teenage son and daughter made a gift in her memory to Duke cancer research. “The care that Sandy received and the effort that the doctors and staff made was outstanding. We couldn’t have asked the doctors and the nurses to do any more than they did,” Coates says. In the early 2000s, in response to a challenge grant from another donor, Coates felt he could make a larger gift to endow an associate professorship.

The Sandra Coates Associate Professorship is vacant. The School of Medicine looks forward to filling this professorship in the near future.

Every professorship has a great story. Read more about this one.

Fred Cobb, MD Professor of Medicine

GIVEN BY THE FAMILY AND FRIENDS OF FRED COBB, MD

Dr. Fred Cobb was the Director of the Duke Program for Prevention and Treatment of Heart and Vascular Disease at the Duke Center for Living and Director of Congestive Heart Failure Clinic and Claudication Research Clinic at the Durham VA Medical Center. He received his medical degree from the University of Mississippi Medical Center. He completed his training in Internal Medicine and his fellowship in Cardiology at Duke University Medical Center. After serving as a Major in the U.S. Army, he returned to Durham to join the faculty of both Duke and the Veterans Administration Medical Centers, where he remained until his death in 2006. He became Professor of Medicine in 1983, was Chief of Cardiology at the VA from 1983 to 1992, held appointments in the Departments of Radiology and Cell Biology, and directed the Duke Center for Living from 1989 to 1996.His clinical interests included managing cardiovascular risk factors through medical and lifestyle strategies, implementing strategies to alter and monitor the progression of coronary artery disease. His research interests were primarily involved in studies of the factors that control blood flow to the heart as well as blood vessel function.

The Fred Cobb, MD Professorship in Medicine is vacant. The School of Medicine looks forward to filling this professorship in the near future.

Donald D. and Elizabeth G. Cooke Professors

GIVEN BY ELIZABETH G. COOKE

Donald D. and Elizabeth G. Cooke first met in kindergarten. After earning a degree in mechanical engineering from Cornell University, Donald Cooke served as a U.S. Navy lieutenant in World War I before returning home to work in his family’s business. Later, during World War II, he worked in an industrial plant that built furnaces, eventually becoming company president. Elizabeth Cooke was the daughter of John W. Griggs, who was governor of New Jersey and U.S. Attorney General under President McKinley. After Donald Cooke’s death, Elizabeth became interested in cancer research and made a gift to endow this professorship.