{"id":53306,"date":"2025-05-16T10:03:05","date_gmt":"2025-05-16T15:03:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/news\/?p=53306"},"modified":"2025-06-17T11:34:50","modified_gmt":"2025-06-17T16:34:50","slug":"medical-legend-dr-o-h-frazier-recognized-by-tarleton-state-with-honorary-doctorate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/news\/medical-legend-dr-o-h-frazier-recognized-by-tarleton-state-with-honorary-doctorate\/","title":{"rendered":"Medical Legend Dr. O.H. Frazier Recognized by Tarleton State With Honorary Doctorate"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

STEPHENVILLE, Texas \u2014 As a native of Stephenville and a former Tarleton State University student, Dr. O.H. \u201cBud\u201d Frazier has made the community proud by becoming one of the world\u2019s top transplant and mechanical circulatory support surgeons. Earlier today, Tarleton State recognized him with an honorary doctorate of humane letters during spring 2025 commencement exercises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Man
Dr. O.H. “Bud” Frazier received an honorary doctorate of humane letters today during Tarleton State\u2019s spring 2025 commencement ceremonies. From left: Dr. Diane Stearns, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs; Dr. James Hurley, Tarleton State President; Dr. O.H. “Bud” Frazier; <\/em>and Dr. Diana Ortega, Vice President for Student Engagement and Success.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Throughout the course of a remarkable career, Dr. Frazier has performed over 1,200 heart transplants, more than any other surgeon in the United States. Additionally, since conducting experimental work toward developing an implantable left ventricular assist device in the 1970s and 80s, he has implanted more than 900 LVADs, the most of any surgeon in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Overall, his work in the field of circulatory support has resulted in more than 100,000 LVADs being implanted in patients worldwide as a life-saving effort. A significant number of these devices have been developed in Dr. Frazier\u2019s Texas Heart Institute laboratory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe are thrilled to recognize Dr. Frazier with an honorary doctorate,\u201d said Tarleton State President Dr. James Hurley. \u201cHe is an innovator in the medical field who has elevated the quality of life for thousands around the world throughout the course of his legendary career. The fact that his journey started right here at Tarleton State is a testament to the limitless opportunities available to our Texans.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recently, Dr. Frazier was named recipient of the prestigious Pushpa and Kewal Krishan Gupta Lifetime Achievement Award in Development of Therapies for Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Diseases by the American Society for Artificial Internal Organs (ASAIO) Board of Trustees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to the recognition from the ASAIO, he has received Lifetime Achievement awards from the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation and the American Association for Thoracic Surgery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2011, Dr. Frazier implanted the first successful continuous-flow total artificial heart using two second generation HeartMate II LVADs to replace a patient\u2019s failing heart. Last year, his team successfully implanted the first-in-human BiVACOR total artificial heart that is designed to serve as a bridge to transplant for patients with end-stage heart failure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDr. Frazier has made a profound impact on the world and saved countless lives,\u201d said Tarleton State Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Diane Stearns. \u201cWe are proud to recognize him with an honorary doctorate to show our appreciation for his remarkable achievements and contributions to society.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Growing up, he was a standout athlete with impressive talent. Notably, Mineral Wells High School recruited his mom, Adele Frazier, to teach English so that her son could play running back for the football team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His father, Oscar H. Frazier Sr., was a math teacher and track coach at Tarleton State \u2014 named John Tarleton Agricultural College and then Tarleton State College at the time \u2014 for 40 years. The Oscar H. Frazier Memorial Track on campus is named in his honor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bud\u2019s collegiate journey started at Tarleton State before going on to earn his bachelor\u2019s degree from the University of Texas. At Texas, he was a kicker and punter on the football team while also participating in track. He earned his medical degree from the Baylor College of Medicine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From 1968 to 1970, he served his country as a flight surgeon in the U.S. Army. As a result of his bravery and exceptional service, he received the Combat Flight Medal, the Vietnamese Navy Medal and the Vietnamese Distinguished Service Medal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last June, the City of Stephenville presented him with a proclamation and a key to the city to celebrate his contributions to the field of mechanical circulatory support and his efforts in pioneering treatments for patients suffering from heart failure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am deeply honored and proud of this recognition that Tarleton has bestowed upon me,\u201d said Dr. Frazier. \u201cI am remembering my years of growing up in the shadow of my father\u2019s long service and devotion to Tarleton with his practical and focused goals. Both Tarleton and my father have represented to me the importance of dedication and commitment to a worthy cause.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bud and his wife, Rachel, are the proud parents of a son, Todd, and daughter, Allison.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

STEPHENVILLE, Texas \u2014 As a native of Stephenville and a former Tarleton State University student, Dr. O.H. \u201cBud\u201d Frazier has made the community proud by becoming one of the world\u2019s …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":53307,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"advgb_blocks_editor_width":"","advgb_blocks_columns_visual_guide":"","wds_primary_category":423,"footnotes":""},"categories":[422,423,425,426,427],"tags":[430,432],"class_list":["post-53306","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-morestories","category-academics-research","category-campus-community","category-honors-achievements","category-science-health","tag-academic-affairs","tag-alumni"],"acf":{"image":false},"author_meta":{"display_name":"brian","author_link":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/news\/author\/brian-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-3\/"},"featured_img":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/65\/2025\/05\/Frazier-Honorary-Doctorate-300x200.jpg","coauthors":[],"tax_additional":{"categories":{"linked":["_morestories<\/a>","Academics & Research<\/a>","Campus & Community<\/a>","Honors & Achievements<\/a>","Science & Health<\/a>"],"unlinked":["_morestories<\/span>","Academics & Research<\/span>","Campus & Community<\/span>","Honors & Achievements<\/span>","Science & Health<\/span>"]},"tags":{"linked":["Academic Affairs<\/a>","Alumni<\/a>"],"unlinked":["Academic Affairs<\/span>","Alumni<\/span>"]}},"comment_count":0,"relative_dates":{"created":"Posted 11 months ago","modified":"Updated 10 months ago"},"absolute_dates":{"created":"Posted on May 16, 2025","modified":"Updated on June 17, 2025"},"absolute_dates_time":{"created":"Posted on May 16, 2025 10:03 am","modified":"Updated on June 17, 2025 11:34 am"},"featured_img_caption":"","series_order":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53306","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=53306"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53306\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":53313,"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53306\/revisions\/53313"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/53307"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=53306"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=53306"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=53306"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}