Texas Medical Center President to Retire After 28 Years

Dr. Richard Wainerdi has experienced a lot during his 28 years as President of the Texas Medical Center. However, he not foregoing everything he loves. In an interview with Houston Chronicle medical reporter Todd Ackerman, Dr. Wainerdi admitted he is “going to keep [his] hand in a lot of different things…but at 81 years of age and 28 years as president, [he thinks] it’s time to turn the reins over to someone else.”

 

In 1984, Dr. Wainerdi accepted his position as President and CEO after retiring from the Gulf Oil Corporation. However, prior to his tenure there, he spent a previous 20 years at Texas A&M University founding the Texas A&M University's Nuclear Science Center, the Activation Analysis Research Laboratory, the German Synfuels Technology Retrieval Program, the Center for Energy and Mineral Resources, the University's College of Medicine, as well as numerous other programs.

 

Texas A&M University Press author, Frederick C. Elliott, documents many of the changes TMC has experienced over the years in his book The Birth of the Texas Medical Center: A Personal Account (Texas A&M University, 2004). His book reveals the human side to this dynamic organization. Dr. Wainerdi said “Dr. Elliot’s book provides a unique perspective of the creation of the Texas Medical Center. His insight into this historically significant process is of great value to all of those who want to understand how what is now the largest medical center in the world came into being. He was more than simply an observer, he was a vital participant and leader in all that occurred.”

 

For more on Elliott’s book, click here.

For more on the interview, click here.

For more on Dr. Wainerdi, click here.