Cooley Honors His Father’s Legacy at Dedication of University Life Center
It truly was a Cooley family affair Wednesday at the dedication of the Denton A. Cooley, MD and Ralph C. Cooley, DDS University Life Center at UTHealth.
Dr. Denton Cooley was joined by his wife, Louise, and his family at the luncheon event held in conjunction with the university’s spring UT Talks session.
“It looks like UTHealth has created a beautiful family reunion for us,” noted one of several Cooley family members who attended the event.
More than 200 guests looked on as Cooley, the legendary surgeon-in-chief, founder and president emeritus of the Texas Heart Institute helped open the university’s first multi-purpose center, which was made possible through his gift honoring his late father, Ralph, a 1908 alumnus of the dental school and an innovator in the field of dentistry.
Fittingly, the center is connected to the new UTHealth School of Dentistry. Boasting 14,000 square feet, it can hold up to 400 people for conferences and is open for use to all UTHealth members.
“We honor a man who has been a tremendous friend to UTHealth and celebrate a gift given by a son in memory of his father,” said UTHealth President ad interim Giuseppe N. Colasurdo, MD. “We are here to take part in the dedication of this beautiful facility, which will truly become the heart of our university.”
“I consider [this center] a real opportunity to demonstrate my pride and affection for my father,” said Cooley. “He was an outstanding parent and role model. He would be enormously proud of having this center in his honor, and it would really please him greatly.”
David McPherson, MD, chair of internal medicine and head of the division of cardiology at UTHealth Medical School, was the featured speaker for the UT Talks portion of the event. His presentation highlighted several labs and their development of techniques to better identify cardiac and vascular disease and therapies to more effectively treat heart disease and stroke with fewer complications.
McPherson said he was honored to help celebrate and honor the family of one of his medical heroes.
“Dr. Cooley’s legacy comes from his interest in developing UTHealth and its faculty to carry our research and education into future generations,” said McPherson. “His father instilled in him that ‘the individual record is only a small part of an institution’ but together each record can grow and enlarge that institution.”
In addition to the luncheon, Cooley and guests participated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony with UTHealth leaders as well as the unveiling of a portrait wall at the center featuring Cooley and his father.
John Valenza, DDS, dean of the UTHealth School of Dentistry, also introduced a video narrated by Cooley that recalled his father’s achievements and influence and featured rare Cooley family photos and early photos of Houston.
“It is a privilege for us to thank and honor Dr. Denton Cooley today,” said Valenza. “Every university needs a place where faculty life can flourish and where meetings and conferences can bring people together. We now have this kind of place at UTHealth.”
Story by Andy Heger, all photos by Dwight C. Andrews, UTHealth Medical School Office of Communications