Robert S. Stone (February 10, 1922 – October 20, 2016) was an American physician. He served as the Director of The National Institutes of Health from May 29, 1973, to January 31, 1975. Stone also served as the vice president for health services and dean of the school of medicine at the University of New Mexico, dean of the School of Medicine of the University of Oregon Health Sciences Center and vice president of the Health Sciences Center, and dean of the Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine.
Contents
Early years
Stone was born in Manhattan, New York on February 10, 1922. He received his B.A. in 1942 from Brooklyn College and his M.D. from the State University of New York Upstate Medical University in 1950.
Career
Stone was an instructor in pathology at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons from 1950 to 1952 while fulfilling his medical residency requirement in pathology at NewYork–Presbyterian Hospital. In 1952, Stone moved to Los Angeles and joined the faculty of UCLA's School of Medicine, department of pathology. As part of his academic duties at UCLA, Stone served as the deputy coroner at Los Angeles County Coroner's Office, and as a pathologist for the Los Angeles Shriners Hospital for Crippled Children. He also served as the chief of research in pathology for the Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission from 1959 to 1960 and a collection of his speeches is held at the National Library of Medicine. Stone also served as the vice president for health services and dean of the school of medicine at the University of New Mexico. While at the University of New Mexico, he worked to increase diversity within the school of medicine by hiring minority faculty members and appointing a woman to a key leadership role. One of his hires, Dr. Alonzo Atencio, PhD, began a high school student recruitment program. In 1972, he obtained funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Hispanic Centers of Excellence for the Basic Sciences Enrichment Program, which provided pre-entry basic science education for incoming minority medical students. He was also dean of the School of Medicine of the University of Oregon Health Sciences Center and vice president of the Health Sciences Center, and dean of the Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine.