Spears, Jackson E., 1906-2003: Home

NYMC History:

• Member, Board of Trustees, 1943-2003
• Chairman, Board of Trustees, 1965-1972
• Vice Chairman, Board of Trustees, 1956-1964

Biography:

Jackson Spears was a native of Dallas, Texas. Mr. Spears was a corporate executive in the textile industry until his retirement from Burlington Industries as a vice president in 1961.¹ He was a member of the Board of Trustees at New York Medical College from 1943 until his death in 2003, and twice served as Acting President of the College.^1,2 From 1956-1964, Spears served as Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees, and from 1965-1972 was its Chairman.¹ He was instrumental in the plan to move the College from New York City to Westchester County.^3,4 In 1983, Spears was the first recipient of the College's William Cullen Bryant Award,⁵ which recognizes those remarkable individuals who, in the tradition of the College’s founder, William Cullen Bryant, demonstrate seminal leadership in health care, science, education, business, or the arts. For his service, Spears received an honorary Doctor of Science degree from the College in 1993 and the Terence Cardinal Cooke Medal for Distinguished Service in Health Care.⁶ In 2000, the Jackson E. Spears Community Service Award was established to recognize those individuals and organizations that have demonstrated exceptional service and commitment to our communities.

SOURCES:

1. New York Medical College Founder's Dinner Awards
2. Obituary, New York Times
3. "College Will Relocate in Westchester County," Chironian 29(4), 1968
4. "Medical-Teaching Complex in New York, Linked to North Through Flower and Keep, to be Moving," Watertown Daily Times, August 12, 1969
5. "Honored by Medical College," The Hour, May 31, 1983
6. In Memoriam, Chironian Fall/Winter 2003