NORFOLK—They came from across the nation, hundreds of friends, family members
and colleagues overfilling the 350-seat Nauticus theater, to pay tribute
to Mason Cooke Andrews, M.D., a community leader and visionary who left
an outsized impact on everything he touched.
Andrews died Oct. 13 at 87.
Andrews, an obstetrician, Norfolk councilman, former mayor and a
prime mover behind the founding of EVMS, left people remembering not
only his grand accomplishments, but his tenacity and legendary attention
to details.
"Dr. Mason Andrews is rightfully seen as the prime mover in the
founding of Eastern Virginia Medical School," said EVMS President Harry
T. Lester. EVMS would "honor is legacy" by continuing to push for
excellence in medical education.
To read the full story about the memorial, click HERE
A heartfelt tribute came from one of Andrews’ closest friends and
colleagues, Howard W. Jones, M.D., an EVMS professor emeritus and
founder of the Jones Institute for Reproductive Medicine.
Jones remembered meeting Andrews in the era of World War II at Johns
Hopkins Medical School, back in the days when medical school residents
actually lived in the hospitals where they worked.
"Mason was a straight arrow," Jones said. "He said what he meant and
he meant what he said."
After Andrews finished medical training at Johns Hopkins, he returned
to Norfolk, but kept in touch with Jones, writing constantly of a need
for a medical school in Hampton Roads, Jones recalled.
That determination, and years of grueling effort, often against
concerted opposition, lead to the eventual creation of EVMS in 1973.
As the first chairman of the EVMS Department of Obstetrics and
Gynecology, Andrews propelled the young medical school to the forefront
in reproductive medicine, recruiting Jones, and his wife, Georgeanna S.
Jones, M.D., also an eminent physician and scientists.
Soon after the Joneses "it became apparent," Jones recounted, "that
there was an opportunity to move into in-vitro fertilization. Mason
hesitated not a moment."
At the time, the idea of "test tube" babies drew heavy political
flack. Andrews not only helped advance the science, he ran political
interference to keep the program alive, Jones recalled.
Those efforts came to fruition on Dec. 28, 1981, when Andrews
delivered Elizabeth Jordan Carr, the nation’s first child conceived by
in-vitro fertilization. The pioneering research lead to the creation of
the Jones Institute for Reproductive Medicine in 1983.
One reason his success was Andrews’ conviction each of us should
"leave this world a little better than when you entered it," Jones said.
"By that test, Mason was superb."
Of course, Andrews’ impact extends far beyond the medical school.
During his tenure on the city council, Andrews virtually reshaped the
city or Norfolk, transforming its downtown into a vibrant cityscape it
has become.
While those accomplishments can be seen on almost any city street,
what he did for medical care in Hampton Roads are not forgotten by the
thousands of doctors who have been educated here, who teach here, who
research here, who practice here, and who come from around the world to
study here.
"I can tell you that in the halls of EVMS, his dedication to
excellence and to academic freedom are legendary," said Dean and Provost
Gerald J. Pepe, Ph.D.
For more information, contact:
Doug Gardner, Director of News and Publications
EVMS Office of Institutional
Advancement
(757) 446-6070 - gardneda@evms.edu
