Glenn W. Irwin Jr.

(Jul. 18, 1920-Aug. 23, 2012). Born in Roachdale, Indiana, Glenn W. Irwin Jr. attended Indiana University. He received a B.S degree in 1942 and his M.D. degree in 1944. He married Marianna Ashby in 1943. The couple had three children.

After doing his residency in internal medicine, Irwin served in the U.S. Army Medical Corps from 1946-1948. He was stationed at Schofield Barracks General Hospital in Hawaii, where he held the position of chief of Medicine. After his discharge from the army in 1948, he returned to Indianapolis and was an intern at Methodist Hospital.

In 1950, Irwin joined the faculty of the IU School of Medicine (IUSM), becoming the third full-time faculty member in the Department of Medicine. He had a reputation as an outstanding teacher. He also engaged in research and established the school’s first clinics that studied hormones and the glands that produced them. He served as the acting chair of the Department of Medicine from 1956 to 1957.

In 1965, Irwin became the fifth dean of IUSM. One of his major accomplishments as dean was the creation of the Indiana Statewide Medical Education System. Faced with a growing shortage of doctors in the 1960s, the system established medical education centers in Evansville, Terre Haute, Lafayette, Muncie, Fort Wayne, and South Bend. Universities in these cities provided medical classes for undergraduate students, with faculty members from the IU School of Medicine teaching graduate classes and overseeing residency programs at the centers.

The program increased the number of medical students and the number of residency opportunities in the state. It also reduced calls for the creation of new schools of medicine in the state, allowing the IU School of Medicine to remain the primary medical education institution in Indiana.

As dean, Irwin also oversaw the physical growth of the IU Medical Center campus in Indianapolis, highlighted by an expansion of Riley Hospital for Children and the construction of University Hospital.

In 1973, Irwin became the second chancellor of IUPUI, holding the position until his retirement in 1986. During his years as chancellor enrollment at IUPUI increased by almost 50 percent, from 14,000 students to 27,000 students. Irwin focused his efforts on increasing the number of degree programs offered by IUPUI, adding more full-time faculty and staff, developing programs to attract and retain students, especially minority students.

During his tenure as chancellor, the growth of IUPUI and the desire to bring all of IUPUI’s schools onto the Michigan Street campus also led to the construction of new buildings, including the Business-SPEA Building, the Education-Social Work Building, the Natatorium, and the Track and Field Stadium.

Irwin understood the importance of relationships in the development of IUPUI. His years as a practicing physician had brought him into contact with many of the civic and political leaders of Indianapolis and Indiana. As chancellor, he became a board member of several organizations, such as the Greater Indianapolis Progress Committee (GIPC) and the Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce, which enabled him to lobby for support for the growth and development of IUPUI.

Following his retirement in 1986, Irwin actively engaged in fundraising for IUSM, IUPUI, the Indiana University School of Nursing, and the Wishard Health Foundation. He served on the boards of such organizations as the Riley Children’s Foundation, the Eiteljorg Museum, the Walther Medical Research Institute, and the YMCA.

Irwin received the Sagamore of the Wabash from three Indiana governors. For his dedicated service to Indiana University, he was honored with the President’s Medal for Excellence, the Distinguished Alumni Service Award, the IUPUI Spirit of Philanthropy Award, the IUPUI Maynard K. Hine Medal, and an honorary doctorate. For his contributions to health care, the nursing honorary Sigma Theta Tau International made him an honorary member.

Irwin was a longtime member of the Second Presbyterian Church, where he served as a church elder. He was a 33^rd -degree mason and belonged to the Contemporary Club, the Indianapolis Rotary Club, and the Indiana Society of the Chicago.

IUPUI created the Glenn W. Irwin, M.D. Research Scholar Award, in his name, which is the highest recognition of outstanding continuing research. Its Glenn W. Irwin Jr. M.D. Experience Excellence Award is given annually to a faculty or staff member for service “above and beyond the call of duty.”

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