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.