Baylor University Medical Center Proceedings January 2014, Volume 27, Number 1 | Page 53

Tributes to Marvin J. Stone, MD, on his retirement

arvin J. Stone, MD, founded the Baylor Charles A.
Sammons Cancer Center in 1976 and directed it for
more than 30 years. When he retired in July 2013,
a reception was held in his honor (Figure 1), and a
sample of tributes given at the event and submitted afterwards
are reprinted below. An interview of Dr. Stone was published
in Proceedings in 2001 (1).

M

MICHAEL EMMETT, MD
When William Osler was preparing to go to Oxford in
1905 he gave a famous farewell speech to his colleagues at
Johns Hopkins and said, “I desire no other epitaph . . . than
the statement that I taught medical students in the wards, as
I regard this as by far the most useful and important work I
have been called upon to do.” There is no doubt that Marvin
Stone, who regards Sir William as one of the greatest physicianphilosophers in history, agrees completely with this statement.
Marvin has had a wonderful and remarkable career as a physician, scientist, and medical administrator, but I am certain he
regards his role as a teacher to be the high point of his long
and distinguished career.
Still, on the occasion of Marvin’s semiretirement, I must
mention some of the bricks and mortar monuments to his legacy
at Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas (BUMC). For
his entire career at BUMC, he led the oncology and hematology programs. For most of that time they were “housed” in a
cancer center of oncology and hematology excellence that had
no physical walls. This virtual structure was held together by the
strength of Marvin’s academic excellence and the universal respect accorded him by his local colleagues, an increasing number
of former students as well as leaders and experts throughout the
world. The interaction of oncologists, hematologists, surgeons,
radiologists, radiation oncologists, pathologists, nurses, technicians, and others provided thousands of patients with expert
care, extended the lives of untold numbers of individuals, and
always provided that care with heartfelt compassion and sensitivity. A definitive building was not required. Nonetheless,
over the past few years the Sammons Cancer Center and the T.
Boone Pickens Cancer Hospital have been completed and stand
as wonderful physical testimonials to Marvin Stone’s legacy.
However, I must return to Marvin the teacher. Whether in
the classroom giving a formal lecture on the latest developments
Proc (Bayl Univ Med Cent) 2014;27(1):51–55

in an area of hematology or oncology, always rooted in medical
history, at the microscope during one of his famous “what does
the blood smear show?” sessions, or at the bedside where he
expertly blended the science of medicine with the humanism
required of the true physician, Marvin has been a master (and
indeed he is a Master of the American College of Physicians).
The legions of medical students, residents, fellows, and faculty
that he taught so well by example carry his lessons forward.
When Osler gave the speech I mentioned above, he was
55 years old. In the same speech, he proposed that scientists

a

b

Figure 1. Dr. Stone (a) listening to the tributes and (b) with his wife, Kathy Stone,
and his son, Rob Stone.
51