In memoriam: James Arens, MD

James Arens, MD, former chair of the Department of Anesthesiology, died July 27, 2025, in Brenham, Texas. He was 91.

He graduated from medical school at Creighton University and completed a rotating internship at Tripler Army Hospital in Honolulu, Hawaii. He then completed his anesthesiology residency at Charity Hospital in New Orleans. He served in the U.S. Air Force for four years before being appointed chairman of anesthesiology at Ochsner Clinic in New Orleans.

Before chairing the McGovern anesthesiology department, he was chair at The University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, where he also chaired the system practice and and was appointed vice president for clinical affairs and chief executive officer of the hospital. He also served as chair of anesthesiology at MD Anderson Cancer Center.

He felt his most significant accomplishment was training hundreds of anesthesiology residents, who were proud to be called ATAs (Arens-trained anesthesiologists).

He served as president of both the Texas and American Societies of Anesthesiologists, the American Board of Anesthesiology, as well as president of the American Board of Medical Specialties. He served for many years on the Board of Directors of the Blinn College Foundation.

He was preceded in death by his grandson, Peyton Arens, who lost his battle to rhabdomyosarcoma at the age of 12. He leaves behind his wife of 40 years, Ann Gardner Arens; daughter Patricia Ann Arens Goforth, son James (Jim) F. Arens, II and four grandchildren, David and Lauren Goforth, and Elsbeth and Porter Arens.

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