Charles LeMaistre, former president of the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston and former chancellor of the University of Texas System, died Jan. 28. He was 92.
LeMaistre, who was known by friends as "Mickey," served as the cancer center's president starting in 1978 after seven years as the top administrator for the UT System, according to a release. He railed against the harmful effects of tobacco use and helped spur innovation in the field of cancer prevention.
“Mickey was one of the great icons of 20th century medicine, who pushed boundaries, drove innovation and positioned M.D. Anderson to be the world’s most impactful cancer center,” Dr. Ronald DePinho, president of M.D. Anderson, said in the release. “His excellence is reflected to this day in the halls of our institution and in the countless lives saved around the globe.”
LeMaistre, the second full-time president at M.D. Anderson, established a cancer prevention program and pioneered multidisciplinary care. He retired as president in 1996.
In 1964, he served on the first U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory Committee on Smoking and Health, which issued its landmark report identifying cigarettes as a major health hazard. He was later the national president of the American Cancer Society in 1986.
A book about tobacco-related issues written by LeMaistre will be published later this year, according to the release.
“Many individuals for generations to come will never experience the pain and suffering of cancer due to Mickey’s efforts in cancer prevention,” DePinho said in the release.
The Austin-based UT System oversees eight academic campuses and six health care facilities and employs more than 87,000 people.
