Frederick L. Harris

BS 1968, MS 1974, Zoology and Physiology		The son of the late Tom Harris, a Laramie pediatrician, Fred Harris is a dedicated supporter of education. For the past 13 years, he has provided premedical scholarships to UW students in his father's memory. In 1993, he additionally established a fund to honor an outstanding member of the Zoology-Physiology faculty. Harris served as a first lieutenant in Vietnam before returning to UW to complete his master's degree. He then attended the University of South Dakota School of Medicine and finished his medical studies at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. At UW, Harris was a member of Phi Kappa Phi and graduated cum laude. His academic success continued in medical school, where he graduated in the top five percent of his class. In 1983, Harris started his own surgical practice in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, specializing in vascular, thoracic and trauma surgery. His hard work, commitment of time, and political skills have resulted in one of his greatest accomplishments, the development of McKennan Hospital into a regional trauma center. Harris has been active in local and regional medical societies. He is past president of the Northern Plains Vascular Surgical Society and has been an Associate Examiner for the American Board of Surgery, an honor bestowed only upon the most highly respected surgeons. He holds staff appointments at both the University of Nebraska and University of South Dakota schools of medicine. He directed the surgical residency program in Sioux Falls for seven years, and in 1990 was honored as Consultant of the Year for his work with the Valley Community Health Center, which renders unreimbursed health care to the needy.