Franklin M. Loew

Franklin M. Loew, DVM, PhD, was president of [Becker College http://www.becker.edu], dean of the [College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University] and dean of [Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine] (now Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine). Dr. Loew was born in Syracuse, NY in 1939 and died in 2003.

A man of indomitable spirit and legendary wit, Loew was considered by many to be a leader in pushing the boundaries of veterinary medicine forward and in framing important discussions of animals in public policy.

While at Tufts, Loew built the veterinary school into a globally recognized institution, known for its signature programs in biotechnology, equine sports medicine, wildlife medicine, ethics and values and international veterinary medicine. He often referred to Tufts as "the dandiest little vet school in the country."

"But he has done something more—something to which many aspire, but only a rare few achieve," former Provost Sol Gittleman wrote in a letter to the Tufts community in announcing Loew's departure for Cornell in the mid 1990's. "Frank Loew has inspired his faculty, students and staff to work together as a community dedicated to the highest standards of education and research. Frank leads by example. It is no secret that he lived and breathed Tufts vet school, that his passion for his work is unparalleled, that his compassion for humans and animals is sincere, his intellectual curiosity insatiable, and his humor ever at the ready."

At the dedication of the $2.4 million Franklin M. Loew Veterinary Education Center on the Grafton campus in October 1992, Loew, in his typical magnanimous style, remarked, "My name should be seen as representing those of the Tufts trustees, students, faculty and staff who truly are responsible for our school's progress."

Loew became Becker College's eighth president in 1998. During his tenure, the percentage of students enrolled in baccalaureate degree programs rose from 13 percent to more than 60 percent, and four major degree programs were added to the curriculum.

Before becoming president of Becker, Loew served as president and chief executive officer of Medical Foods Inc., which develops foods to promote good health. He held two doctorates, a PhD in toxicology (nutrition) from Canada's [University of Saskatchewan] in Saskatoon and a DVM in veterinary medicine from Cornell University, where he also received his undergraduate degree. He was an elected member of the [National Academy of Science's] Institute of Medicine. He also was a division director at [Johns Hopkins School of Medicine] and a professor at the University of Saskatchewan, where he was also a Medical Research Council Fellow. Additionally he was a visiting scientist at M.I.T. and a senior fellow at Tufts. In the 1970s, Loew was on the research team in western Canada that helped develop what is now known as canola oil. In 1977, he received a Queen's Jubilee Medal from the Governor-General of Canada.

Loew served as a consultant to many universities, foundations, government agencies and companies, including Columbia and Ohio State universities, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Pew Charitable Trusts, the Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health, NASA, the Smithsonian Institution and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. He was also a member of several nonprofit boards of trustees, including the New England Aquarium and the Tuskegee Advisory Committee for the Center of Bioethics and Health Care Policy.

His innumerable writings appeared in publications ranging from Science, Nature Biotechnology and all the major veterinary journals to The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. His book, Vet in the Saddle, was published in 1978.