Denton A Cooley, M.D.

I have had many role models in my life, and I think it is difficult to pinpoint just one individual. Whether a teacher or parent or ambitious friend, I think I have modeled myself after a vast array of leaders. I like Daniel Gaolemanetal’s definition of leadership: “gifted leadership occurs where heart and head—feeling and thought—meet” (62). Seeing the topic, I reluctantly decided that I would have to brainstorm and think about my future (something often asked of college students) in order to find a role model.

My Dad and Mom

The very first person that came to my mind was my mother. Like many girls, I have idolized my mom . She went through a great deal socially and emotionally and still turned out a caring and successful person. Among her difficulties, her sister became mentally insane in the rural high school she attended, and her father died of cancer her freshman year of college. Yet, somehow, she managed to be the star of the University of Kansas track team, set a world-record, bear the torch in the 1980 Winter Olympics, attend Law school, marry my father, and raise two kids. Her cheerful demeanor has supported me in everything I do. She always has opinions about people and events around me—but not necessarily strong opinions about me. Her style of rule-making consists of dropping subtle hints rather than making definite guidelines. I could easily write a discussion about how my mom is a role model, but after reading the Texas Exes stories I realized that I can more strongly model myself after Denton A. Cooley.

Denton Cooley

Not only did but Cooley achieve amazing medical advances, but he also succeeded in every aspect of University life. Socially he was in Frat and a social organization, the Texas Cowboys. Athletically he was on the basketball team. And, of course, he had great academic success. What I admire about him, however, are his “normal” struggles. Cooley noticed that “it became necessary to budget [his] time quite severely in order to maintain [his] grade-point average” (950). One might expect such a medical genius to have had no trouble with time management, but, just like the run-of-the-mill college student… or perhaps the typical Professor Bump student, not all his college classes were a breeze. Whether it was difficultly in English composition or finding his place in a big university institution—I identify with his human struggles.

As John notes, Cooley performed the first open-heart surgery and pioneered many surgical procedures. Yet, in his autobiography, I noticed that Cooley did not focus of his medical accomplishments. This modesty makes me even more in awe. Cooley made simply amazing advances in medicine but he also excels in his personal skills.

A typical large UT class

Like Cooley, I have already sensed that the “lack of personal attention and support of individual students [at UT] impart[s] a spirit of independence and competitiveness that offset the most theoretical disadvantage of an oversized student population” (950). Indeed, on my journey here at the University of Texas I plan to model myself after Denton Cooley and attempt to find myself and succeed not only academically but also socially.