A L U M N E W S
Duce Award Honors Hospital Administrator
Where Are They Now?
Phil Wentworth ’67, ’76 received the Duce Award at the Trinity Healthcare Alumni Association annual meeting in Chicago. The presentation took place during the meeting of the American College of Healthcare Executives. Wentworth spent his distinguished 30year career with Presbyterian Healthcare System, first as an associate administrator at Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas and later as president of the Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Plano, Texas. Under his leadership, the hospital received Magnet Status in 2007 and the Texas Award for Performance Excellence in 2008. After retiring from the Plano hospital, he served as interim president of Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas to fill an unexpected vacancy. He remains active in the Plano community and continues to share his wisdom and expertise with Trinity’s health care administration faculty and students as a member of the department’s Advisory Council, where he has helped shape program improvements. The Duce award, named for the late Leonard A. Duce, Ph.D., a former professor of health care administration and first dean of the graduate school at Trinity, annually honors a graduate of the University’s health care administration program for his or her outstanding leadership and significant contributions to the health care field. Phil Wentworth ’67, ’76
44 Trinity
O Z WHITE
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harismatic, caring, and controversial, O Z White was a living campus legend during his Trinity career as professor and chair in the department of sociology (1964-1991). Hired by Dean Bruce Thomas at the Atlanta Airport following a brief interview, he came to Trinity with degrees from Furman University (B.A. and47 M.A.), Erskine Theological Seminary (M. Div.) and Emory University (Ph.D.). White quickly embraced President James W. Laurie’s vision of building the Skyline Campus and facilitating the university’s quest for academic excellence. “Laurie had a dream,” O Z recalled, “and he expected us to dream along with him.” Under White’s leadership, the department of sociology expanded its curriculum and attracted large numbers of students, many of whom went on to graduate school and careers as social work professionals. At the same time, White served as a consultant in regional drug and alcohol treatment and prevention and urban renewal programs in San Antonio and Little Rock, Arkansas. For many years he was a volunteer counselor at Christian Assistance Ministries (CAM) and San Antonio Metropolitan Ministries (SAMM). He engaged students to combine theoretical learning with hands-on experience in a variety of urban environments. Incorporating visiting lecturers, local field trips, and opportunities for volunteer service into his classes, White enabled students to experience personally the social complexi-
Professor emeritus R. Douglas Brackenridge visits with former faculty members.
ties of metropolitan San Antonio. As founding faculty sponsor of Chi Delta Tau, White guided the fraternity into social service projects that stimulated the formation of TUVAC and wider student body participation in volunteer activities. White also opposed discrimination due to gender or sexual orientation and was a faculty advocate for the right of gay-lesbian groups to organize on campus. An avid racquetball player and tennis enthusiast, he was a familiar figure on the lower campus both as a participant and spectator at intramural events. In retirement, White remains close to “Laurie had a dream, and he expected us to dream along with him.”
campus in his home on Kings Court where he has lived since 1992 with his spouse, Sharon Dix White, a former student. As a couple, they have been deeply involved with the Trinity Cat Alliance, a program designed to feed, vaccinate, neuter, and find adoptive homes for abandoned felines in the immediate area. They redesigned their home in order to accommodate rescued cats who mix freely with their dog, Frank, who tolerates their presence. White continues his consultant activities through O Z White Associates, a small company specializing in research, evaluation, and technical assistance. Current consultantships include The Rio Grande Valley Council, San Antonio Fighting Back, Inc., and Disease Management Services, Inc. Despite recent health issues, including a mild stroke and extended eye problems, White joins longtime friends Gene Norris and Paul Golliher for a daily (5 a.m.) workout at a local health club. His keen wit, insatiable intellectual curiosity, and ardent support for the poor and oppressed, remain undiminished. When he celebrates his 83rd birthday on August 14th, he will do so surrounded by old friends and his favorite martinis. O Z White can be reached by e-mail at ozwhite@aol.com, by phone at 210-416-3603, or by mail at 527 Kings Court, San Antonio, Texas 78212.