A Picture of Leadership

Champ Lyons, M.D., grew up in Mobile, Alabama, and in 1931 graduated cum laude from Harvard Medical School. In 1950 he was appointed the first full-time chair of the Department of Surgery at the Birmingham medical school.

John Kirklin, M.D., with Penny Williamson, president of University Hospital Auxiliary, in 1973. The auxiliary provided funds in 1973 to help equip a new open-heart surgical suite. In 1966, Kirklin left the Mayo Clinic to become the third chair of surgery at UAB.

Arnold Diethelm, M.D., speaks to the press following performing a kidney transplant in October 1988. Diethelm served as surgery chair for 17 years beginning in 1982 and helped develop an internationally recognized transplantation program at UAB.

James Kirklin, M.D., reviews a chart (undated). Kirklin, son of John Kirklin, is the director of the James and John Kirklin Institute for Research in Surgical Outcomes and holds the James K. Kirklin Endowed Chair of Cardiovascular Surgery.

Carla Falkson, M.D., Helen Krontiras, M.D., and Kirby Bland, M.D., in the Kirklin Clinic circa 2002. Bland was named chair of the Department of Surgery in October 1999, a position he held until 2015. Krontiras is now director of the Division of Surgical Oncology. Falkson is a professor in the Division of Hematology and Oncology.

Champ Lyons, M.D., grew up in Mobile, Alabama, and in 1931 graduated cum laude from Harvard Medical School. In 1950 he was appointed the first full-time chair of the Department of Surgery at the Birmingham medical school.

John Kirklin, M.D., with Penny Williamson, president of University Hospital Auxiliary, in 1973. The auxiliary provided funds in 1973 to help equip a new open-heart surgical suite. In 1966, Kirklin left the Mayo Clinic to become the third chair of surgery at UAB.

Arnold Diethelm, M.D., speaks to the press following performing a kidney transplant in October 1988. Diethelm served as surgery chair for 17 years beginning in 1982 and helped develop an internationally recognized transplantation program at UAB.

James Kirklin, M.D., reviews a chart (undated). Kirklin, son of John Kirklin, is the director of the James and John Kirklin Institute for Research in Surgical Outcomes and holds the James K. Kirklin Endowed Chair of Cardiovascular Surgery.

Carla Falkson, M.D., Helen Krontiras, M.D., and Kirby Bland, M.D., in the Kirklin Clinic circa 2002. Bland was named chair of the Department of Surgery in October 1999, a position he held until 2015. Krontiras is now director of the Division of Surgical Oncology. Falkson is a professor in the Division of Hematology and Oncology.