Hollis Grady Boren, MD, a founding faculty member of the USF College of Medicine who served as dean of the college from 1977 to 1979, passed away April 6 at his home.
He was a pulmonologist who spent his entire career in the VA healthcare system, including appointments in Texas, Florida, Washington, DC, and Mississippi, before retiring as Chief of Staff of the VA Medical Center in Biloxi in 1989.
Dr. Hollis Boren was dean of the USF College of Medicine from 1977 to 1979.
While working at the James A. Haley Veterans Hospital in the 1970s, Dr. Boren accepted an appointment as one of the charter faculty members in the Department of Medicine at the University of South Florida’s relatively new medical school. He had served as an associate dean before being named dean by then USF interim president William Reece Smith, Jr., in July 1977.
Dr. Boren guided the College of Medicine during a period of transition at the university. During his tenure as dean, he worked with H. Lee Moffitt, then a Florida state representative, to seek support from community and medical leaders for establishing a major center on USF’s campus that would focus exclusively on cancer.
“Dr. Boren was one of our early deans instrumental in leading the momentum needed to help a young USF College of Medicine take root and thrive,” said Stephen K. Klasko, CEO of USF Health and dean of the Morsani College of Medicine. “Leaders like him helped lay the strong academic foundation that has allowed us to build toward a new USF Health Morsani College of Medicine focused on transforming medical education with innovative programs, like SELECT and CAMLS.”
Dr. Boren was preceded in death by his wife, Lois Wriborg Boren. He is survived by his sons, Doug (Barbara) Boren, of Matthews, NC and Jay (Carol) Sloan, of Ozark, AL; daughters, Cindy (David) Berry, of Wesley Chapel, FL, Debbie (Triston) Mabry of Temple, TX, Dr. Lisa (Dr. Nanolla) Yazdani, of Byram and Elise Boren of Franklin, NC; 15 grandchildren; 29 great grandchildren and one great great-grandson.
You can view the online guest book for Dr. Boren here: http://www.legacy.com/guestbooks/tbo/guestbook.aspx?n=hollis-boren&pid=164139083&cid=full
