BLACKSBURG, Va., April 14, 2006 – The faculty, staff, Council members, and friends of the Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center (EMC) recently gathered to honor Dr. Jack Howard, a retired veterinarian and longtime friend of the Center for his years of distinguished service.
Dr. Fred Fregin, who opened the EMC in 1983 as its founding director, praised Howard for his tireless commitment to treating and caring for equine patients at any time of day or night. Fregin shared stories with the group about the important role Howard played in the development of the center.
Fregin, who is retired and currently resides in Texas, shared stories about the many ways that Howard had helped the center in its early years; from loaning equipment and medications that the center lacked, to accompanying first-time clients upon their referral to the center and staying with them throughout the night as they waited for their horses to recover.
Shelley Duke, chair of the Equine Medical Center’s Council, expressed the Council’s gratitude to Howard for his advocacy of the Center over the years, noting that he was instrumental in introducing many members of the community to the center.
Howard, a resident of Leesburg, Va., helped build the college into the internationally respected facility that it is today – an advanced care equine referral hospital that offers 24-hour emergency care and treats about 2,500 horses a year.
A major highlight of the event was the presentation to Howard of a photograph of him taken at Oatlands in 2005 by Dr. Ken Sullins, who was hired 22 years ago as the Equine Medical Center’s first veterinary surgeon. Sullins, an award-winning photographer whose work is featured in area galleries, thanked his longtime friend and colleague for his collaboration on cases and fondly recalled their many fishing trips together.
The photograph that was presented to Howard was the first of 75 limited edition prints that have been produced in his honor. Copies of the photograph are being sold and the proceeds will benefit the EMC. Prints are available in two sizes; a 13” x 19” print is available for $100 and an 8” x 10” print is available for $40. To order a photograph, please call Amy Troppmann, assistant director of development at the EMC, at 703-771-6843.
Dr. Nat White, the Jean Ellen Shehan professor and director of the Center, concluded the program by presenting a framed certificate of appreciation to Howard that was inscribed “with sincere gratitude for being a longtime friend, counselor, and advocate for the Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center.”
During the presentation, White said that Howard’s lengthy career as an equine veterinarian was characterized by integrity and compassion, that his life and career should be viewed as an ideal role model for today’s veterinarians and students, and wished that more people could “be Jack Howards.”