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UAMS
Presents Chancellor’s Award to Lowe, Stephens 05-20-02
(Little Rock) A special
highlight of the Commencement Ceremony of the University of Arkansas
for Medical Sciences (UAMS) on Saturday, May 18, at 3 p.m. in Barton
Coliseum will be a presentation of the Chancellor’s Award from UAMS
Chancellor, I. Dodd Wilson, M.D., to two outstanding Arkansas leaders,
Betty A. Lowe, M.D., and Jack Stephens, LL.D. This
prestigious award is presented
to honor an individual for distinguished achievements in the science
and art of healing through medical practice, teaching, research, or
health-related community service or to recognize a person whose
generous philanthropy has extended the capability of UAMS to serve the
people of this state, the region, and the world. The award to Dr. Lowe
will be presented by Debra Fiser, M.D., Chairman of the Department of
Pediatrics of the College of Medicine.
The award to Jack Stephens will be presented by T. Glenn Pait,
M.D., neurosurgeon and orthopaedic surgeon within the College of
Medicine and Director of the new Jackson T. Stephens Spine and
Neurosciences Institute on campus. The institute is now under
construction as a home for the Departments of Neurosurgery, Neurology,
Orthopaedics, and other disciplines and spine-related programs. Profile:
Betty A. Lowe, M.D.
Born
in Grapevine, Texas, she was raised in northwest Arkansas and was
valedictorian of her class at Fourche Valley High School in
Briggsville, Arkansas. After
graduating from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, she
entered its School of Medicine in Little Rock. After shadowing
Dr. Pearl Wadell, a pediatrician in Little Rock, Betty made her choice
for a future in medicine as a pediatrician. She graduated
first in her class at age 22 in 1956. Dr.
Lowe gathered residency training at Children’s Medical Center in
Boston, became an Instructor at Harvard Medical School, and was Chief
Resident of Pediatrics at UAMS Medical Center in 1959-60.
She added post-graduate fellowships in rheumatology to her
vitae in the mid-1970s. Betty
has served many roles in several places in Arkansas; as a physician in
private practice and later the Chief of Staff of the Southern Clinic
in Texarkana; as Associate Clinical Professor, Pediatrics, at the UAMS
Medical Center; as Professor of Pediatrics of the UAMS College of
Medicine; as Medical Director of Arkansas Children’s Hospital; as
Associate Dean for Children’s Affairs of the UAMS College of
Medicine; and as the first recipient of the Harvey and Bernice Jones
Distinguished Chair in Pediatrics at UAMS. When
Dr. Lowe became the Medical Director of Arkansas Children’s Hospital
in 1977, the facility was a small building with only four or five
other doctors and medical residents on rotations through the 45-bed
hospital. She played a vital role in helping the hospital evolve into
one of the nation's leaders in pediatric care with 260 patient beds
and more than 70 specialty clinics. For
decades, Dr. Lowe held certifications from the Arkansas Basic Science
Board and the Arkansas Medical Board.
She is a Diplomat of the American Board of Pediatrics and is a
member of many medical societies, including the American Academy of
Pediatrics, the American College of Rheumatology, and the American
Medical Association. Betty has held elective office in these and many
other professional organizations and is a past President of the
American Academy of Pediatrics She
has received many honors and awards during her career, including the
UAMS Distinguished Service Award in 1998 and the Paul Harris Fellow
Award of Rotary International in 2000. She was designated one of
Arkansas Business’ Top 100 Women in Arkansas three times in
the 1990s. Among her most cherished awards, she says, is the Golden
Apple award, the teacher of the year accolade presented by students of
the UAMS College of Medicine each year. No story about Dr. Lowe would be complete without mentioning her remarkable family. Her older sister, Mary Good, Ph.D., a chemist and the Under-Secretary of Commerce for Technology for the Clinton Administration, is now the Dean of the Cybercollege at UALR. Her younger sister, Margaret Bogel, Ph.D., is a nutritionist researcher and teacher. Her only brother, John Edgar Lowe, now retired from the U.S. Forest Service, has served the agency in several states, including the role of Senior Forester of the western region. Dr. Lowe is a skilled and gifted pediatrician, a medical administrator with practical wisdom and “common sense,” and a leader in her field. She is also a delightfully colorful, folksy and confident woman who has the ability to solve difficult problems, the character to stand for the right approach – even if unpopular – and the determination to build bridges between UAMS and ACH. Profile – Jack
Stephens
Born on August 9,
1923, he was the youngest of six children.
He attended public schools in Prattsville, Arkansas, and later
graduated from Columbia Military Academy, Columbia, Tennessee.
He attended the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville and
graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1946. He returned to Little
Rock and joined his brother, W.R. “Witt” Stephens, in a business
venture that became Stephens Inc.
He served as President of the company from 1957 until 1986. Mr. Stephens served
on the University of Arkansas Board of Trustees from 1948 to1958 and
received a Distinguished Alumnus Citation in 1965. In the early 1950s
as a member of the Board of Trustees of the University of Arkansas, he
led the efforts to relocate and construct the facilities of what is
now known as UAMS at its current Markham Street site. During his career, Mr. Stephens has received numerous recognitions, including the Horatio Alger Award in 1980. He has served on the board of the Little Rock Boys Club, the Quapaw Council of the Boy Scouts of America and has been instrumental in several fund-raising activities for Little Rock area hospitals, including the University Hospital. Typically modest – even self-effacing – about his philanthropic gifts, he often responds to praise for his significant charitable contributions with, “Glad I could help.” Mr. Stephens was
awarded an honorary Doctor of Law (LL.D.) degree from the University
in 1985. In 1989, he was
the first recipient of the annual J. William Fulbright Award given for
international trade development.
He received an honorary doctoral degree (LL.D.) in 1989 from
Harding University in Searcy and is a member of the Business Hall of
Fame established by the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the
University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. Mr. Stephens has served as a
member of the board of directors of Missouri Pacific Railroad,
Burlington Northern, Inc., Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., Systematics, Inc.,
and Dillards. He is
currently on the board of Metzler Corporation of New York, an
affiliate of B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co., of Frankfurt, Germany. Over the past 22 years, Mr. Stephens has generously supported every progressive change at UAMS including endowed chairs, the Arkansas Cancer Research Center, the Jones Eye Institute, and the Donald W. Reynolds Center on Aging. Most recently, he contributed funds to UAMS to build a new facility and endow key parts of the program for the fourth and newest center of excellence. His $48 million gift is the largest sum ever contributed to this campus in its 123-year history. This 12-story facility bears his name in recognition of his philanthropy and vision – the Jackson T. Stephens Spine and Neurosciences Institute. $7.5 million of this gift will be used as endowment support for the Chair of the Spine Center and its programs. UAMS envisions the Stephens Institute becoming a major facility for life-enhancing diagnosis and treatment for persons who need medical or surgical intervention for spine problems. The building will contain the Center for the Athletic and Aging Spine, which will focus on spine and back problems for patients of all ages. Outpatient clinics and conference facilities for educational seminars and symposia will be incorporated into the building. Mr. Stephens and the
Stephens family have made significant investments in the future of the
university. This gift and his leadership will have a tremendous impact
on health education, research, and health care for patients with
diseases of the spine and nervous system and will benefit Arkansans
and people from all over the world. # # # For higher res images, click on above photos. PR
Contact: 03/30/07 |
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