Interview with Ward O. Griffen, Jr., November 30, 1985
Project: University of Kentucky Medical Center Oral History Project
Interview Summary
Dr. Ward Griffen, Jr. (Chair of the Department of Surgery, 1967-1986) discusses becoming a surgeon, attending Princeton, Cornell, and the University of Minnesota, and then coming to the University of Kentucky as associate professor of surgery. Griffen speaks at length about the state of medical education, which he believes is in decline, and the state of medicine in general. He discusses the need for better training of medical students and the large role of technology in medicine, to the determent of patient care. Other topics include his time as the chair of surgery, analysis of Willard, Eiseman and Bosomworth's administrations, the financial end of running a teaching hospital, and the relationship of the UK and U. of Louisville medical schools.Interview Accession
Interviewee Name
Interviewer Name
Interview Date
Interview LC Subject
Academic medical centers--Kentucky--Lexington Bosomworth, Peter P., 1930- Chandler, Happy, 1898-1991 Clark, Thomas Dionysius, 1903-2005 Dickey, Frank Graves Eiseman, Ben, 1917- Griffen, Ward O., Jr. Griffen, Ward O., Jr.--Interviews Health facilities--Kentucky--Lexington Hospitals Administration Kentucky. General Assembly Kentucky. Governor (1967-1971 : Nunn) Medical education Medicine--Kentucky--Lexington Mouth--Surgery Oswald, John W. (John Wieland), 1917-1995 Physicians--Kentucky--Lexington Rural health--Kentucky Singletary, Otis A. Surgery University of Kentucky University of Kentucky. College of Medicine--History University of Kentucky. Medical Center University of Kentucky. Medical Center--History Willard, William R., 1908-Interview Rights
All rights to the interviews, including but not restricted to legal title, copyrights and literary property rights, have been transferred to the University of Kentucky Libraries.Interview Usage
Interviews may be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, Special Collections and Digital Programs, University of Kentucky Libraries.Restriction
Interviews may be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, Special Collections and Digital Programs, University of Kentucky Libraries.
All rights to the interviews, including but not restricted to legal title, copyrights and literary property rights, have been transferred to the University of Kentucky Libraries.
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Griffen, Ward O., Jr. Interview by Richard C. Smoot. 30 Nov. 1985. Lexington, KY: Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries.
Griffen, W.O., Jr. (1985, November 30). Interview by R. C. Smoot. University of Kentucky Medical Center Oral History Project. Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries, Lexington.
Griffen, Ward O., Jr., interview by Richard C. Smoot. November 30, 1985, University of Kentucky Medical Center Oral History Project, Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries.
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