Timothy Bolton Boone ’77 is a man of many talents—and titles. Boone is the chair of the urology department at Houston Methodist Hospital and director of education for the Houston Methodist Institute for Academic Medicine. He is professor of urology and associate dean for both Weill Cornell Medicine and the Texas A&M University College of Medicine Houston campus. He’s a clinical professor of urology at Baylor College of Medicine. On top of all that, he’s a practicing urologist.

A colleague puts it more simply: “Tim is a leader among leaders both in medical education and in his professional life as a urologist.”

Boone graduated from Southwestern with a bachelor of science in biology. He went on to earn his master’s degree in physiology and a doctorate in neuroscience at the University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Houston before receiving his medical degree from the University of Texas Medical School at Houston. He was a member of the faculty at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School and then Baylor College of Medicine before moving to Houston Methodist Hospital to establish a new urology department and residency training program. He specializes in the treatment of patients with problems associated with neurologic issues arising from spinal-cord injury, stroke, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, and other diseases. 

In his role as director of education for the Houston Methodist Institute for Academic Medicine, Boone oversees all education programs for the hospital system, including graduate and undergraduate programs. “Tim is an advocate for all the core principles and values that drive Houston Methodist’s mission and beliefs, which run parallel to those of Southwestern,” Rev. Charles R. Millikan ’68, vice president for spiritual care and values integration at Houston Methodist, says. “He is ensuring our future success by instilling these same beliefs and values into our medical residents, who are eternally imprinted both by his personality and his passion for the care of patients as they progress in their future development as outstanding physicians, scientists, and researchers across the globe.”

Boone served as president of the American Board of Urology (ABU) from 2011 to 2012 and chaired the ABU’s Maintenance of Certification program from 2012 to 2015. He has written more than 200 research publications, given hundreds of lectures regionally and nationally, and is an active member of several medical and professional associations. He also serves as a consultant reviewer for numerous scientific journals, including the Journal of Urology, the British Journal of Urology, and the New England Journal of Medicine. Boone has earned a number of awards and honors, including the Presidential Award from the Texas Urological Society and the Distinguished Service Award from the Society for Urodynamics and Female Urology.

“I have known many physicians in my life, and the words that come to mind in thinking about Tim are balance, passion for quality, quiet confidence, humility, and a sense of justice. He is all about academic excellence and lifelong learning, and his work has taken him to the top of his professional world,” says Dan Stultz ’72, Boone’s cousin. “Personally, he is as quiet and unassuming as a person can be. Tim exceeds in being true to oneself.”

Boone has supported Southwestern in many different capacities over the years, from leading the advisory council during the first phase of the recent Fondren–Jones Science Center expansion and renovation to delivering the commencement address at the 2019 graduation. He currently serves as a member of the Board of Visitors. He also serves as a generous mentor to Southwestern students, providing valuable internship and summer research opportunities at Houston Methodist Hospital. In 2019, Southwestern awarded Boone an honorary doctorate.

“His scholarly and medical work are exceptional, and his hospital leadership has been transformational,” says Edward B. Burger, president emeritus at Southwestern and president and chief executive officer of St. David’s Foundation. “His personal ethics align brilliantly with Southwestern’s core values.”

For his exceptional professional achievements and enduring commitment to Southwestern, the Southwestern University Alumni Association is proud to honor Timothy Bolton Boone with the Medal of Honor.