September 27, 2019

Hello,

Yesterday was an auspicious day for our Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, and a fitting tribute in our 50^th anniversary year, as the department was named in honor of its founding chair, Louis Faillace, MD.

Dr. Faillace was the chief of psychiatry at the Baltimore City Hospital in 1971, when he was recruited by the medical school’s inaugural Dean Dr. Cheves Smythe to become the clinical program director – later changed to department chair – of psychiatry. One of our school’s pioneers, Dr. Faillace served the university full-time for 22 years, playing pivotal roles in UTHealth’s affiliations with UTHealth Harris County Psychiatric Center, Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center, and Harris Health’s Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital. He also served as interim dean of the medical school from 1984-85. He now serves as professor emeritus.

A $3.5 million gift from his son, Anthony Faillace, has created three endowed chairs and a scholars program for the department. The department is now named The Louis A. Faillace, MD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences.

The endowed chairs will help recruit and retain outstanding faculty who are critical to our academic mission—clinicians, investigators, and teachers who are working to develop innovative ways to treat behavioral disorders and promote mental health and well-being. The Faillace Scholars Fund will fund research grants, awarded through a competitive process, to address the most critical behavioral health challenges.

Dr. Faillace has had a remarkable impact on McGovern Medical School, on the field of psychiatry, and on the broader community. The future of the department is bright thanks to the enduring generosity of the Faillace family—and thanks to the continued contributions of Dr. Faillace.

Please join me in thanking and congratulating Dr. Faillace.  McGovern Medical School is extremely fortunate that he moved to Houston almost 50 years ago.

Warm regards,
Barbara