Dr. Coon was 96.
Prior to Dr. Coon’s arrival, Marshall University had tried to obtain national accreditation twice. Through his hard work, the Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine at Marshall University received accreditation from the American Medical Association and the Liaison Committee of Medical Education. The first class of students began at the medical school in 1978.
Dr. Coon went on to become the permanent dean of the Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine at Marshall University, as well as the vice president of health sciences.
When he retired in 1985, Dr. Coon received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree. He is still honored today at the university with the Robert W. Coon Medical Education Building at the Huntington VA Medical Center.
“He was an outstanding man all the way through,” said Robert B. Hayes, PhD, Marshall University president emeritus. “If we hadn’t of had him [sic], we never would have had the medical school.”
More articles on leadership and management:
Consumerism in the era of patient engagement: How top healthcare organizations stand out as patient favorites
Former Sisters of Providence CEO dies
John Heer receives Baldrige leadership award: 6 things to know
At Becker's 4th Annual CEO + CFO Roundtable, taking place November 2–5 in Chicago, more than 1,500 hospital and health system executives tackle decisions that determine whether organizations thrive or merely survive: protecting margins under cost pressure, choosing where to grow, renegotiating payer relationships, stabilizing the workforce and proving real ROI on technology. This is where leaders work through them together, face-to-face. Apply for complimentary registration now.