Ryland Mundie, M.D., of Little Rock, who created the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Department of Emergency Medicine, died Thursday, Aug. 4, 2005, of heart disease.

He was born in Shawnee, Okla., on Oct. 25, 1930, to Joseph and Ruth Mundie. He grew up in Arkadelphia and received his undergraduate degree from Ouachita Baptist University. He graduated from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences medical school in 1956.

He served in the Air Force as a flight surgeon, and at Wright Patterson Air Force Base was instrumental in training the Apollo astronauts. He spent more than 18 years in neurophysiological research. At age 50 in 1981 he completed an Emergency Medicine residency in Dayton, Ohio, and returned to Arkansas where he established the state’s first Emergency Medicine training program at UAMS. He resigned the post in 1992 as a tenured professor and completed his career at the Veterans Administration Hospital.

UAMS Chancellor I. Dodd Wilson, M.D., expressed his sadness for Mundie’s death and acknowledged his former colleague’s contributions to UAMS.

“Dr. Mundie did an excellent job at UAMS, both in establishing the Department of Emergency Medicine and bringing it to a level of maturity,” Wilson said.

In addition to his professional career, Mundie was a pilot, gardener, glassblower, printer, computer programmer and took pleasure in fixing all things broken. He was a deacon at Second Baptist Church and a lifelong student of the Bible.

Mundie is survived by Margaret, his wife of 50 years; two daughters, Sherrill Cooper and husband Bill of Finksburg, Md., and Allyson Goodman and husband Bill of Springfield, Mo.; a son, David Mundie and wife Jackie of Bryant; and four grandchildren.