Fred Cason
Name: Fred Cason
Current position: Gastrointestinal surgeon and chief of surgery at Louis Stokes VA Medical Center in Cleveland, Ohio.
Hometown: Kansas City, Mo.
Education: Received a bachelor's degree in biological sciences from Purdue in 1974. He earned his medical degree in 1978 at St. Louis University and served in the Navy. "I talked to the recruiter my last day at Purdue and I served in the Navy the whole time I was in medical school."
Big responsibility: As chief surgeon, he is the senior administrator for the department of surgery and is responsible for the quality of surgical care, management of staff and the advancement of surgical care for the region. The medical center is affiliated with Case Western Reserve University, where Fred serves as a faculty member. The region is heavy with veterans, too. "There are about a million veterans in our area."
The appeal of Purdue: Purdue had a good reputation in his neighborhood, and several of his friends decided to go to school here. "I could have gone anywhere I wanted, but I chose Purdue." He was recruited to play on Purdue's track team as well. Fred admits that it was his love of football also attracted him to Boilermaker country. Two Kansas City football legends — Len Dawson and Hank Stram — had connections with Purdue, Dawson as a quarterback and Stram as both a player and a coach.
A different world: When Fred arrived on the Purdue campus in the early 1970s, change was in the air. "It was a different time, right after the climax of the civil rights movement. I remember going to my first class and realizing that it was the first time I was in a class where everyone didn't look like me. It was somewhat of a culture shock."
Committed: Even though his administrative duties keep him busy, Fred still enjoys seeing patients and carries a full surgical load. Often that means he must work in the wee hours of the morning if duty calls. "My kids don't like it much when the beeper goes off while we're in a restaurant or about to board a plane."
Diverse playing field: He is also committed to attracting more minorities into the medical field. "Patients still want to see doctors that look like them and share their life experience." Fred is the historian for the Association of Black Academic Surgeons and is working on sequel to a book about the history of black surgeons in America. "There has been a great deal of progress through the years. It is still important to recruit talent, and talent doesn't have a color. It's important to give opportunities for minorities to develop that talent."
Family matters: When not busy with patients, he enjoys spending time with his family, which includes wife Cathryn and sons Malcolm, 15, and Matthew, 17, catching up on his sleep and reading about history. "I've been blessed. I still enjoy getting up and going to work every day, although not so much at 3 a.m."