History of Veritas and Founders
When Veritas was formed in 2006, five influential physicians were chosen as namesakes for the student societies. These physicians all played important roles in either the establishment or the strengthening of student and resident education here at the Joe R. & Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine and UT Health San Antonio. We honor these physicians for their commitment to medical education as their legacy lives on through the work of Veritas.
Dr. Arthur S. McFee, “McFee Blue” Society
Arthur Storer McFee, M.D., and his wife, Iris, arrived in San Antonio in 1968 to help open a new medical school in South Texas and never left. Mrs. McFee was the first Administrator of the newly formed Department of Surgery, and Dr. McFee was a Founding Faculty Member in the Department of Surgery. During his career he played critical roles in all facets of surgical care at University Hospital, serving as the chief of the operating room, director of the surgical intensive care unit and chief of the medical staff. He was the critical founding member and life-long steward of the Aust Surgical Society, an alumni organization dedicated to helping and mentoring surgical residents from the residency he and his colleagues built in San Antonio. The McFees were critically important in building a successful and strong Department of Surgery and School of Medicine. Dr. McFee’s entire professional life was spent in the education of surgeons and his legacy endures in the cumulative work of these dedicated men and women. He passed away on June 20, 2015.
Dr. Charles A. Rockwood, Jr., “Rockwood Yellow” Society
In 1966, Charles Rockwood, M.D., joined the faculty of the Department of Orthopaedics as a Founding Faculty Member where he served as chairman of Orthopaedics for 22 years. During his career, Dr. Rockwood developed a cutting-edge shoulder surgery post-operative rehabilitation program as well as developed prosthetics to treat shoulder fractures. Dr. Rockwood has authored numerous journal articles and audiovisual presentations and has served as editor of several textbooks. He also served as a Colonel in the United States Air Force Reserve, and Civilian National Consultant to the Surgeon General of the U.S. Air Force. In 2016, Dr. Rockwood, Professor and Chairman Emeritus, Department of Orthopaedics, and Director of the Shoulder Service, celebrated 50 years of service to the University of Texas Health Science Center. In his private practice, he continued to perform complex shoulder surgery and as a consultant, shared his expertise with other orthopaedic surgeons throughout the country.
Dr. Robert Esterl, “Esterl Purple” Society
Robert Esterl, M.D., serves as the Long School of Medicine’s Associate Dean for Undergraduate Medical Education. He is a renowned Transplant Surgeon who performed the first kidney and pancreas transplant in San Antonio in 1995. Dr. Esterl was also part of the team of doctors that performed the first split-liver transplant in South Texas, in which two patients benefited from a single liver donor. He has taught and mentored medical students here since 1994, and his guidance and leadership has led more than 8,000 students through to residency.
Dr. David Jones, “Jones Green” Society
David J. Jones, Ph.D., is an esteemed Emeritus Faculty Member who served the Long School of Medicine and UT Health San Antonio for more than four decades. He has had a great impact on the school and is a nationally respected expert in admissions and in pharmacology. In the Department of Anesthesiology, Dr. Jones had a very active research laboratory for 25 years studying spinal cord nerve-signaling pathways. He eventually gave up his research to assume his responsibilities in the dean’s office. Dr. Jones exemplifies the meaning of professionalism in medicine.
Dr. James Holly, “Holly Red” Society
James Holly, M.D., is a 1973 graduate and Distinguished Alumnus from the Long School of Medicine. He is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Southeast Texas Medical Associates in Beaumont, Texas, and serves as an Adjunct Professor of Family and Community Medicine for the Long School of Medicine. Dr. Holly and his wife, Carolyn, have been major supporters of the school for many years—both in student support and in faculty support. In 2017, Dr. Holly was named a member of the Aesculapian Laureate Society, which honors Long School of Medicine alumni who have given more than $1 million to the school.
Resources
For more information on the Veritas program and its history, see the links below.