Office of Public Relations — Newsroom
News Release
For Immediate Release
Contact: Tonya Ewers, 303-724-1520, Tonya.Ewers@uchsc.edu
Gift Establishes Endowed Chair of Surgery at the University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine
Dr. Frederick L. Grover named the Aragón/Gonzales-Gíustí Chair of Surgery
AURORA, Colo. (Jan. 8, 2008) - At an afternoon ceremony today, the University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine announced a new donor gift to create an endowed chair of surgery. The event to honor the donors, the endowed chair and the named chair holder was hosted by Chancellor M. Roy Wilson, MD, MS, Richard Krugman, MD, Dean of the School of Medicine and Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs, and the University of Colorado Foundation.
The Aragón/Gonzales-Gíustí Chair of Surgery was created as a result of a gift from Dr. Guillermo "Bill" Aragón and his wife, María. The undisclosed gift amount from the Aragóns honors three generations of their combined families from both Puerto Rico and Denver. The minimum to fund an endowed chair at the University of Colorado is $1.5 million.
"It is with these kinds of gifts that the university can continue to build on its outstanding faculty for the good of our entire community," said Chancellor M. Roy Wilson. "The Aragón's generosity is a testament to their lifetime of service and we intend to honor that generosity with service to our fellow citizens."
Guillermo "Bill" Aragón began his medical residency at the University of Colorado School of Medicine in 1951. In 1956, he built a solo practice in Denver while also serving as an instructor for the Department of Surgery at the School of Medicine and as an attending surgeon at Denver General Hospital. In 1959, the family returned to Puerto Rico and returned to Denver in 1973 when a long-time friend and colleague, Dr. Ben Eiseman became Chief of Surgery at Denver General Hospital and Professor of Surgery at the School of Medicine, and offered Dr. Aragón a position.
Aragón began work as Associate Professor of Surgery at the School of Medicine while practicing surgery once again at Denver General Hospital. He was involved in teaching students and residents and was active in conducting basic science research.
When asked about the gift to establish the endowed chair of surgery, Dr. Aragón said: "I strongly believe that every responsible individual who has graduated from high school, college or a professional school, has entered into an unpayable debt to that institution. No matter how much he or she contributes, the debt is only partially settled. While at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, the seed was planted on my mind that one day, I would repay my debt to the wonderful institution that nurtured me into what I am today."
Today, Frederick L. Grover, MD, was inducted as the first Aragón/Gonzales-Gíustí Chair of Surgery at the UC Denver School of Medicine. An endowed chair is regarded as the highest accolade that a university can bestow and the highest academic honor a faculty member can receive.
Since August 2002, Dr. Grover has been Professor and Chair of the Department of Surgery at the UC Denver School of Medicine. He was also previously the Head of the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the medical school and Chief of Surgical Services at the Denver Veterans Affairs Medical Center from 1991 to 2003.
Since 1985, Dr. Grover has chaired the National Cardiac Surgery Consultants Board for the Department of Veterans Affairs and in that capacity, has helped to organize the VA Cardiac Surgery Database. He chaired the Society of Thoracic Surgeons Workforce on National Databases from 1995 to 2004 and has served with the group since its inception in 1989, also serving as the national group president from 2006 to 2007. He chaired the United Network for Organ Sharing Thoracic Committee during the time that it developed a lung allocation score, and served on the UNOS Board of Directors.
In 2005, Dr. Grover was honored by his alma mater, and received the Duke University Distinguished Medical Alumnus Award.
"Fred's research into health outcomes as it relates to cardiovascular and thoracic surgery is nationally and internationally recognized," said Richard Krugman, MD, UC Denver Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs and Dean of the School of Medicine. "His contributions to the Department of Surgery, the School of Medicine and the University of Colorado Denver have been enormous during his tenure. This a well deserved honor."
The presentation of the medals at today's ceremony to both the donors and the newly installed chair holder is the first of what will become a new tradition at the University of Colorado Denver when endowed chairs are created.
The School of Medicine faculty work to advance science and improve care as the physicians, educators and scientists at University of Colorado Hospital, The Children's Hospital, Denver Health Medical Center, National Jewish Medical and Research Center and the Denver Veterans Affairs Medical Center. The School is part of the University of Colorado Denver, one of three universities in the University of Colorado system. For more information, visit the website at www.uchsc.edu or the UC Denver Newsroom at www.uchsc.edu/news.
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