Ashbel Smith Distinguished Alumnus Awards

The Ashbel Smith Distinguished Alumnus (ASDA) Award is the highest alumni honor bestowed by the university's School of Medicine Alumni Association.  The award, recognizing outstanding service to the medical profession and to humanity, honors the memory of Dr. Ashbel Smith. 

Born in 1805 in Hartford, Connecticut, Smith moved to Texas in 1837 after graduating from Yale Medical School.  A prominent figure in Texas medicine, politics and education, Smith was considered the driving force behind establishing the University of Texas at Austin in 1881, and a medical department that would later be known as the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston in 1891.

  ASDA Award nomination criteria:

1.  Distinguished in the medical profession
2.  Demonstrates integrity, stature, and abilities that will inspire students and other alumni
3.  Has made important contributions to his or her community
4.  Has made contributions to medical education as a scholar and teacher
5.  Demonstrates pride in the University of Texas Medical Branch and whose loyalty and interest are evident

 Read biographies on the 2019 Ashbel Smith Distinguished Alumni Awardees.