George Bolian, MD, professor emeritus of Psychiatry, died on Feb. 8. He was 95.
Dr. Bolian joined Vanderbilt in 1987 and served in many capacities in the Department of Psychiatry until his retirement in 2009, including residency training director, medical director of the Psychiatric Hospital, division director, vice chair and interim chair.
He served as a member of the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine Admissions Committee, chaired the Undergraduate Medical Education Committee for 16 years and was elected chair of the Vanderbilt University Medical Center Medical Board.
“George led the department when I arrived from Boston in January 2006; I would not have succeeded in my job as department chair without George,” said Stephan Heckers, MD, MSc, William P. and Henry B. Test Professor and chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Services. “His calm temperament, steady leadership and considerable wisdom were of great help to all of us in the department.”
Dr. Bolian was born and raised in New Orleans and was valedictorian of Isidore Newman School. He earned a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts from the University of Chicago; earned a bachelor’s degree with a focus on history and literature, graduating cum laude from Harvard University; and received his medical degree from Tulane University Medical School in New Orleans. He did residencies in adult and child psychiatry in Ohio and New York.
He served as a captain in the U.S. Army Medical Corps at Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu, Hawaii, for three years then joined the University of Washington, where he became its first full-time medical director for psychiatry. He was recruited back to Hawaii and was the training director at the University of Hawaii School of Medicine and later became president and CEO of The Queen’s Medical Center – The Queen’s Health Systems. He relocated to Hendersonville, Tennessee, in 1986 where he opened a private psychiatric practice before joining Vanderbilt a year later.
In his obituary, Dr. Bolian is quoted as saying this upon reflection of his life:
“If any of my various activities have merit, rest assured they were achieved only with the unfailing support of my wife, a loving family and a host of precious friends (both human and canine).”
Dr. Bolian is survived by his wife Trish, sons Mark, Greg, Josh and Zach and grandchildren and great grandchildren who called him “Poppy G.”
A Celebration of Life will be at noon on March 1 at the Luton Lecture Hall in Vanderbilt Psychiatric Hospital, 1601 23rd Ave. S., with a visitation preceding at 11 a.m.
In lieu of flowers, Dr. Bolian’s family requests that gifts in his memory be directed to the Isidore Newman School, Office of Advancement, 1903 Jefferson Ave., New Orleans, LA 70115.
