Salute to the new FDA commissioner

Jane Henney joins a line of IU Med School movers and shakers

Dr. Jane Henney

We salute Jane Henney, M.D., the new commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, for her success in attaining one of the nation's top health administrative roles. Her achievement reflects well on her home state of Indiana as well as Manchester College, her undergraduate college, and Indiana University from which she earned her doctorate in medicine. Dr. Henney's experience as a cancer specialist, a researcher and an administrator has prepared her well for this position. Certainly she is most capable; she has excelled at whatever endeavor she has undertaken.

As an undergraduate, Dr. Henney did well in biology and became a tutor for male classmates whose sights were set on medical school. In the process, she realized that her childhood dream of becoming a physician was just as real a possibility for her as it was for her colleagues.

Jane Henney entered the Indiana University School of Medicine at a time when students were challenging the establishment. One of only 12 women in her medical school class, Dr. Henney found herself in a position that invited leadership. Along with her determination to become a physician, she became active in the Student American Medical Association. It was at this point that Dr. Henney became engaged with national policy making. It was a relationship that has never ended.

As commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, Dr. Henney joins many other graduates from the Indiana University School of Medicine who have contributed much to our society. Some of these graduates have become nationally recognized for their achievements. Dr. David Wolf has taken medical science into space, where he has studied cardiovascular physiology in microgravity and developed the Space Bioreactor. Dr. August Watanabe is responsible for the research and development endeavors of one of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies as an executive vice president of Eli Lilly and Company. Dr. David Hamburg, a recognized leader in national health policy, served as the president of the Carnegie Corporation of New York for 14 years, applying its resources to develop solutions to health problems around the world. Dr. Virgil T. DeVault set up an international medical network for the U.S. Department of State that has served diplomats and others engaged in service to our country for more than 40 years. Kenneth Fong, Ph.D., became the founder and chief executive officer of ClonTech, a multimillion-dollar biotechnology company that provides products to advance biomedical research. And, finally, but certainly not least, Dr. Otis Bowen served as a governor of Indiana and the chief of Health and Human Services in Ronald Reagan's cabinet.

These outstanding leaders are but a few of the nearly 12,000 alumni who have received their M.D., Ph.D., or both degrees from the IU School of Medicine. Their commitment to society is unparalleled. In fact, Dr. Henney and many others recall that a powerful message during their education at IUSM was service to their community.

That message endures and students continue to respond to it. The School of Medicine today has a student body composed of nearly 40 percent women. More IUSM students than ever before are providing health care to the homeless and non-English speaking families and teaching grade school and middle school students about the right health choices. Their models are those who have gone before them and who continue to plow new ground. In her service as the first woman to head the Food and Drug Administration, Jane Henney is an outstanding model for all. Indiana University and the state of Indiana should be proud of her.

Return to Table of Contents