Correction Appended
Robert McCollum, the former dean of Dartmouth Medical School, died in his home in Etna, N.H., on Sept. 13 of causes stemming from a number of medical complications. He was 85.
McCollum, who served as dean from 1982 to 1990, played an instrumental role in fundraising for and planning the move of Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center to its current location in Lebanon, Joseph O'Donnell, senior advising dean and director of community programs at DMS, said in an interview.
"It was a decision that was made with a lot of courage, conviction and deep insight," O'Donnell said. "[McCollum] was an unbelievable force in some of the deliberations that went into moving the old site to the Lebanon campus."
His wife, Audrey McCollum, said he will be remembered for his humility and kindness toward others.
Before he came to the College, Robert McCollum chaired the department of epidemiology and public health at the Yale University School of Medicine and researched the epidemiology and causes of viral infections including hepatitis B, mononucleosis and polio, according to John Modlin, an infectious disease specialist and professor of pediatrics at DMS.
Robert McCollum partnered with some of the "giants" in virology to discover the causes and preventions of these infections, Modlin said. He worked with Saul Krugman the researcher who first distinguished hepatitis B from hepatitis A to discover the cause of hepatitis B, Modlin said.
"He was one of the early researchers on understanding how the virus caused the disease and how it could be prevented," Modlin said.
Despite his accomplishments, Robert McCollum remained humble, Audrey McCollum said.
"He was quiet about that no public awareness," Audrey McCollum said.
Ethan Dmitrovsky, a DMS professor and former interim dean, attested to Robert McCollum's kindness and humility.
"He was a man of great accomplishment as a scholar, but he never wore that on his sleeve," Dmitrovsky said. "Those of us who knew him well knew him as a loyal friend to Dartmouth, and whenever you needed help, you could turn to him for help."
Throughout his career, Robert McCollum balanced work with his commitment to his family, Audrey McCollum said.
"He had many opportunities to join elite science groups he did work with the World Health Organization but he declined a great many opportunities because he was equally devoted to his family," Audrey McCollum said.
Born in 1925 in Waco, Texas, Robert McCollum attended Baylor University. He received his medical degree from Johns Hopkins University in 1948, and earned a doctorate in public health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in 1958, according to a DMS press release.
His parents were not educated beyond the eighth grade, Audrey McCollum told The Dartmouth.
"They had an intense wish to provide their five children [Robert McCollum] was the youngest of the five with knowledge and experiences of the world that were very unusual," she said.
At age five, Robert McCollum left Texas for the first time during a family vacation to Colorado, where he took pictures of the mountain ranges, Audrey McCollum said. Upon his return, he showed his photographs to his classmates, exposing them to new sights, she said.
Since then, Robert McCollum also pursued a passion for photography. The AVA Gallery and Art Center in Lebanon will hold an exhibition of his work in October, according to Audrey McCollum.
"He told me quite recently that he had really dedicated his life to observing the world around him and sharing those observations with other people," she said. "This had really informed everything he did."
Robert McCollum maintained a positive, caring atmosphere at DMS, O'Donnell said.
"He was so interested in our families, in our lives outside of work," O'Donnell said. "He was just such a positive, thoughtful man."
Outside of his professional career, Robert McCollum pursued his passion for great issues, including the environment, social justice and peace, O'Donnell said.
"He worked with all sorts of people on making the world a better place," O'Donnell said.
Both Dmitrovsky and O'Donnell said they saw Robert McCollum as a mentor and role model.
"Ever since he came to Dartmouth, he was someone that people reached out to for insight, guidance and [he] also felt comfortable reaching out and supporting our school," Dmitrovsky said. "He was a fine man on every level, and anyone who would serve as a dean would find him to be a role model."
There will be a celebration of Robert McCollum's life at 10 a.m. on Oct. 16 in Occom Commons, Audrey McCollum told The Dartmouth.
"This location is particularly appropriate because it's very close to where [Robert McCollum]'s office was when he was the dean of the medical school," she said.
Robert McCollum is survived by his wife, as well as a daughter and son, according to the release.
