Dr. Paul E. Stanton, Jr.

Dr. Paul E. Stanton, Jr., who had served as Dean of the James H. Quillen College of Medicine and Vice President for Health Affairs at East Tennessee State University since 1989, became the eighth President of ETSU on January 1, 1997.

A native of Atlanta, Ga., Stanton earned a bachelor of arts in chemistry at Emory University in 1965 and was awarded an M.D. degree from the Medical College of Georgia four years later. His internship was completed through Tampa General Hospital at the University of South Florida, where he was chosen from 23 interns to receive the Upjohn Intern of the Year Award in 1970.

Stanton went on to a surgical residency at Georgia Baptist Medical Center in Atlanta from 1970-74 and then began a one-year fellowship in vascular surgery at Northwestern University School of Medicine in Chicago.

Between 1975-85, Stanton served in several capacities at Georgia Baptist Medical Center. An assistant clinical professor of surgery with the Medical College of Georgia (1980-85), he became Chief of Surgery at Georgia Baptist Medical Center in 1982 and assistant director of the Medical Education Department the following year. Stanton also co-directed the Georgia Baptist Medical Center/Medical College of Georgia Vascular Fellowship from 1980-85 and was an adjunct professor of medicine at Mercer University Southern School of Pharmacy between 1982-85.

In 1985, Stanton came to Johnson City as director of the Division of Peripheral Vascular Surgery for the Veterans Administration Medical Center and ETSU’s College of Medicine -- a position he held for six years -- and served as associate professor of surgery at the university. The following year, he was named professor and chair of the Department of Surgery in the College of Medicine.

Between 1988-89, Stanton served as ETSU’s Interim Dean of Medicine and Vice President for Health Affairs. He subsequently assumed the senior administrative post on a permanent basis before being selected as the university president by the Tennessee Board of Regents.

Stanton’s professional memberships are many, and his community and statewide service is extensive. He is also heavily involved in academic committees and advisory councils from ETSU to the national level.

He has authored numerous articles for a variety of medical publications and several chapters for books, delivered over 80 scientific and poster presentations, and has worked to attract millions of dollars in grants to ETSU.

In 1997, Tennessee Governor Don Sundquist appointed Stanton to the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB). In 2002, Stanton was elected Vice Chairman of the SREB, which is America’s first interstate compact for education with 16 member states.

In January 2002, Stanton-Gerber Hall was dedicated on the grounds of the James H. Quillen Veterans Affairs Medical Center at Mountain Home, ETSU’s neighbor and partner. The $36 million basic sciences building is named for both Stanton and for the VA center director Dr. Carl J. Gerber as they worked together to see this project to fruition.