Background
Howell, Ralph Rodney was born on June 10, 1931 in Concord, North Carolina, United States. Son of Fred Lee and Grace Mary (Blackwelder) Howell.
educator geneticist pediatrician
Howell, Ralph Rodney was born on June 10, 1931 in Concord, North Carolina, United States. Son of Fred Lee and Grace Mary (Blackwelder) Howell.
Bachelor of Science, Davidson College, 1953. Doctor of Medicine, Duke University, 1957.
Intern Duke University, 1957—1958, resident in pediatrics, 1958—1959, research fellow in pediatrics and medicine, 1959—1960. Clinical associate and staff National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, 1960—1964. Associate professor pediatrics Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, 1964—1972.
Pediatrician-in-chief University Children's Hospital at Hermann, Houston, 1972—1987, chairman medical board, 1972—1987. David Park professor University Texas Medical School, Houston, 1972—1989, chairman department pediatrics, 1972—1987. Professor, chairman department pediatrics University Miami School Medicine, 1989—2003, chairman emeritus, professor, since 2003.
Secretary medical staff Jackson Memorial Hospital, Miami, 1992—1993. Senior advisor director Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute Child Health & Human Development, Bethesda, Maryland, since 2003. Vice president medical staff Jackson Memorial Hospital, Miami, 1993—1997, president medical staff, 1997—1999.
Consultant pediatrics M.D. Anderson Hospital and Tumor Institute, 1972-1989. Metabolism study section National Institutes of Health, 1973-1977, chairman maternal and child health advisory committee, 1983-1986. Executive committee National Practitioner Data Bank, 1995-1998.
National clinical advisory committee National Foundation March of Dimes, 1973-1979. Chairman science advisory board Muscular Dystrophy Association, 1989-2007, board directors chairman, since 2007. Visiting professor Institute Molecular Genetics, Baylor College Medicine, Houston, 1988.
Chief pediatrics Holtz Childrens Hospital, University Miami-Jackson Memorial Medical Center, 1989-2003. National advisory council National Institute Child Health and Human Development, 1999-2003. Chair Department of Health and Human Services Secretary's Advisory Committee on Hereditary Disorders in Children and Newborns, since 2004.
Butterfield lecturer National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, University Colorado Annual Meeting, Japan, 2009. Served to senior surgeon, 1960-1964, United States Public Health Service.
Trustee Jackson Laboratory Bar Harbor, Maine, 1985-2003. Director Rip van Winkle Foundation, Claverack, New York, 1987-1992, president, since 1992. Board directors Congressional Church Foundation, Coconut Grove, Florida, 2003-2005, Doctor John T. Macdonald Foundation, Coral Gables, Florida, since 2003.
Fellow American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Academy Pediatrics (committee on genetics). Member American Medical Association (house of deals since 1998), American Pediatrics Society, Society Pediatrics Research, Houston Pediatrics Society (president 1978-1979), Texas Medical Association, Society Inborn Errors of Metabolism (president 1981), Miami Pediatrics Society, Florida Medical Association, American College Medical Genetics (board directors, treasurer 1995-1996, president-elect 1997-1998, president 1999—2000), American College Medical Genetics (foundation president since 2003), National Advisory Council (liaison member since 2006), National Human Genome Research Institute (chairman ethical, social and legal issues review group 1996-2003), Pi Kappa Alpha, Cosmos Club (Washington).
Married Sarah Vosburg Esselstyn, November 19, 1960 (deceased). Children: Grace Meyer, Elizabeth Eriksson, John Esselstyn.