Robert M. Vantrease Biographical File

Robert M. Vantrease, artist and medical illustrator was one of Vanderbilt’s longest serving employees, with his tenure spanning over six decades. A Nashville native, he was born August 6, 1927 and grew up near the Vanderbilt campus. He entered Vanderbilt University as an undergraduate in 1946 and studied biology in the College of Arts and Science. In 1948, he began working part-time in Vanderbilt’s medical illustration department, becoming a full-time employee in June of 1949. He was hired by Susan Wilkes, who, under Dean Canby Robinson, founded the medical illustration department in 1926 to provide illustration and photography for the School of Medicine. His architectural renderings of medical center buildings and other artwork have appeared in numerous campus publications as well as being featured in brochures and prints and note cards. His calligraphy work, decorative borders and embellishments on certificates and bookplates grace many offices on the Vanderbilt campus and beyond. Perhaps his most recognizable work is a hand lettered plaque commissioned by the medical school Class of 1953 of the Oath of Hippocrates on display in the foyer of the old School of Medicine entrance of present-day Medical Center North. Vantrease’s long tenure includes serving as director of the medical illustration department for 14 years in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Following his retirement from full time work, he continued to work until 2013 one or two days a week, spending the remainder of his time pursuing his passion for art. His favorite subjects to sketch include nature, historic homes and buildings, churches and live performances, He was a member of many art organizations, including the Tennessee Art League, the Tennessee Watercolor Society, and the Nashville Artist Guild, and he enjoyed entering his artwork in area exhibitions and juried contests. He passed away in Nashville on July 7, 2016.