Jones and White receive VCU's highest honor

By Malorie Burkett

VCU honored two outstanding leaders of the university community at the 2002 fall commencement exercises.

The Presidential Medallion was awarded to John E. Jones, M.D., former VCU vice president for health sciences and special assistant to the president, and H. George White Jr., M.D., former rector of the VCU Board of Visitors and member of the VCU Health System Board of Directors.

The Presidential Medallion is VCU's highest honor. Established in 1984 by the Board of Visitors, the award recognizes members of the university, health system and external communities for extraordinary service, and honors individuals for their exceptional achievement in enhancing the mission of VCU and the VCU Health System.

Assisted by Roderick J. McDavis, Ph.D., provost and vice president for academic affairs and W. Baxter Perkinson Jr., D.D.S., rector of the VCU Board of Visitors, Dr. Trani presented the Presidential Medallions to Jones and White.

• John E. Jones, M.D., was instrumental in strategic planning during the 1990's to enhance academic programs and research in health sciences and to secure the future of the patient care mission. His work resulted in the establishment of the VCU Health System in 2000. Jones served as VCU's vice president for health sciences from 1991 to 1997, when he was appointed special assistant to the president. Jones, a resident of Richmond, earned his bachelor's and medical degrees from the University of Utah.
• During terms on both the VCU Board of Visitors and the VCU Health System Board of Directors, H. George White Jr., M.D., made significant contributions to policy and strategies designed to protect the future of VCU's mission in health sciences teaching, research and patient care. In 1995 he was appointed to VCU's Board of Visitors becoming vice rector in 1997 and rector of the board in 1999. Following his term on the Board of Visitors, he was appointed to the Board of Directors for the VCU Health System and was a member of the Executive Committee. Since 1994, he also has served as a member of the Dean's Advisory Committee for the School of Medicine. White earned his bachelor's degree from Virginia Military Institute and served as a medical corps captain in the United States Marine Corps. He earned his medical degree from VCU's School of Medicine in 1962. Following his internship and residency training, he went into private practice in Winchester, Va., for orthopedic surgery and co-founded physical therapy, sports medicine and rehabilitation companies.