William Ward Rucks, Jr. (1903-1986) biographical file

Collection

Identifier: EBL-0838

Staff Only

Abstract

Biographical file includes newspaper articles, obituaries, a program honoring Dr. Rucks at Presbyterian Hospital, and a journal article from Oklahoma State Medical Association.

Dates

1985 - 1986

Notes about Access to this Collection

All collections are subject to applicable VUMC privacy and confidentiality policies.

Reproduction Rights

Copyright is retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.

Historical or Biographical Note

William Ward Rucks, Jr. graduated from Webb School at Bell Buckle, Tennessee, and received his B.S. and M.D. degrees from Vanderbilt University. He served residencies in internal medicine at Vanderbilt Hospital and Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in Boston.

In 1931, Dr. Rucks began his practice at the Oklahoma City Clinic and became a member of the voluntary faculty at the School of Medicine, University of Oklahoma, and served until his retirement as clinical professor emeritus.

In 1940, Rucks assisted in organizing the 21st Evacuation Hospital, United States Army. The Unit was composed of faculty members of the O.U. Medical School. Soon after Pearl Harbor, the Unit was activated and ordered to the Desert Training Center in California, where it underwent training for field service. Rucks served with the 21st Evacuation Unit until the end of World War II as Chief of Medicine.

In 1969 at the age of 65, Rucks volunteered and served as aisiting professor of medicine at the Medical School of Saigon, South Vietnam. He passed away in 1986.