Frank Reed has witnessed the evolution of the School of Medicine’s Cardiovascular Division firsthand in his 38 years as an employee.
“When I started, if you lived through a heart attack, you were in the hospital for two weeks,” Reed said. “Now, it’s only two days.”
Reed was hired in 1969 as a cardiac catheter lab technician. Then, his division totaled 10 people and completed about 10 cardiac catheterizations a week, including pediatrics. Reed also had a two-and-a-half-week-old son, Todd.
Today, the division consists of more than 200 people and performs an average of 25 procedures per day, Reed said. Reed, who retired last March, now has a 9-year-old granddaughter, Evie.
Reed was one of 73 employees who retired from the University this past year. He joined 26 other retirees, along with the retirees’ family and friends, Sept. 9 for a celebratory luncheon hosted by Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton at Whittemore House.
Each retiree in attendance received a walnut plaque featuring the University seal and the number of years of his or her service.
Presenting the plaques were Wrighton; Barbara A. Feiner, vice chancellor for finance; Mahendra R. Gupta, Ph.D., the Geraldine J. and Robert L. Virgil Professor of Accounting and Management and dean of the Olin Business School; B.J. Johnston, associate dean of University Libraries; Ralph S. Quatrano, Ph.D., the Spencer T. Olin Professor and interim dean of Arts & Sciences; Gruia-Catalin Roman, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Computer Science & Engineering in the School of Engineering & Applied Science; Larry J. Shapiro, M.D., executive vice chancellor for medical affairs and dean of the School of Medicine; Henry S. Webber, executive vice chancellor for administration; and Ann B. Prenatt, vice chancellor for human resources.
“In the past four decades, Washington University has become a much stronger and certainly a much more visible, popular place — a University that has not only a great impact in St. Louis but also around the world,” Wrighton told the retirees. “This came about because great people like you have been contributing enormously to the advancement of Washington University.
“I want to thank each of you for the great work that you have done during your time here,” Wrighton said. “It takes many people with many different talents to contribute to the building of a university of such quality and impact.”
Special recognition and baskets of flowers were given to the three retirees attending the luncheon who had the greatest number of years of service.
These retirees were Reed (Cardiovascular Division, 38 years), Otha Overholt (Computing Facilities, 36 years) and Edward Stevens (Maintenance Operations, 35 years).
The 73 retirees contributed a total of 1,371 years of service to the University.
Retirees and their lengths of service
Arleen Althardt (6 years); Prosperidad Amargo (21 years); Rose Austin (17 years); Audrey Bathune-Howard (12 years); Sandra Blaylock (30 years); Barbara Bomkamp (12 years); Barry Brunsden (18 years); Karen Busch (18 years); Shi-Rong Cai (12 years); Dennis Callahan (32 years); Katherine Cavaletti (7 years); Brenda Clark (8 years); Rodelio Cusi (15 years); Mary Debenedetti (20 years); Rita Drochelman (19 years); Mary Eichenseer (22 years); Donald Flacke (23 years); Margaret Fuller (24 years); Mary Gaines (18 years); Tatiana Gorodinsky (12 years); Michael Grayson (10 years); Judy Growe (9 years); Lee Hanson (25 years); Mary Harmon (9 years); Thelma Harris (31 years); Rebecca Hauk (9 years); Ellen Haynes (11 years); Joan Heins (24 years); Roxanna Herrick (16 years); Barbara Hill (25 years); Dolores Holdenried (10 years); Karen Hoops (20 years); Susan Horstman (23 years); Robert Horton (16 years); Herbert Huth (9 years); Ricki Kibby (15 years); Alaine Knote (19 years); Stephen Kohler (20 years); Annette Kyles (32 years); Joan Lange (22 years); Pao-Chu Ling (20 years); Lou Lucas (10 years); Alan Mader (26 years); Robert Mahurin (24 years); Barbara Massello (20 years); Cary McConnell (10 years); Jo Ann Metz (33 years); Edward Moehl (10 years); Ling Munsell (6 years); Paul Norman (20 years); Sharon Oakes (7 years); Martin Oberfeld (27 years); Sharon O’Neill (8 years); Patricia Osborne (29 years); Otha Overholt (36 years); Suzanne Owens (9 years); Elizabeth Peters (24 years); Frank Reed (38 years); Constance Restelli (18 years); Raymond Russell (13 years); Lynn Schwander (17 years); Edward Stevens (35 years); Sally Stewart (26 years); Barbara Thomas (24 years); Judith Tollett (10 years); Steven Valli (18 years); Martha Vicente (19 years); Trudy Warner (34 years); Barbara West (20 years); Paula West (24 years); Deborah White (20 years); Donna Zoldi (9 years); and Elaine Zuzack (26 years).