Humble adventurer leaves legacy of supporting future doctors
Financial aid and education
Beyond his accomplishments as a radiologist, professor, and public health leader, Stanley Bohrer, MD ’58, MPH ’75, was a lifelong sculptor who could carve just about anything out of wood. He spent 14 years at University College Hospital in Ibadan, Nigeria—serving as a professor and, for 10 years, as head of the Radiology Department— and became fascinated by the culture and art of the Yoruba people, drawing inspiration for his carvings.
During that time, which included stints as a visiting professor in Ghana, Kenya, and Tanzania, Bohrer acted as a sculptor of a different sort, helping to shape the lives of future generations of health care professionals. He started the first radiology residency program in Africa.
“It’s about the individuals—patiently attending to patients and training future radiologists, giving them the tools for better health, one at a time,” he said in a 2015 interview with the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, discussing how to improve living standards in developing nations. “That’s what I did for 14 years and hope those who come after me will continue to do with this legacy gift,” he said, referencing the bequest he intended to leave the school.
After a long illness, Bohrer, who spoke about his African experiences twice at HMS Alumni Day, died in September 2022. His estate not only provided vital assistance for Chan School students but also distributed more than $2 million to Harvard Medical School to establish an endowed scholarship fund.
“This generous gift from Stanley Bohrer will enable deserving, talented students to pursue their medical education at Harvard without the burden of financial constraints,” says Ryan Callahan, HMS’s director of financial aid. “It will foster a diverse student body essential to our mission.”
Bohrer’s love of international work led him to Project HOPE, a global health and humanitarian organization with over 1,000 employees in more than 25 countries. He served as HOPE’s program director in Cartagena, Colombia, and then in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala, teaching radiology residents in both places. He completed his contract with HOPE working in government hospitals in Jamaica and Grenada.
In 1981, he accepted a position as a professor of radiology at Wake Forest University (WFU) School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, specializing in bone and trauma radiology. During his time at WFU, he authored a book on bones in sickle cell disease and wrote more than 100 scientific journal articles. He also took three sabbaticals—in Pakistan, India, and Ecuador— to work as an international visiting professor for the Radiological Society of North America.
He retired from WFU in 1998 and worked part-time in the same department for a few years before doing volunteer work at a free clinic. He also continued for a number of years giving annual seminars to students in biomedical engineering studying imaging, exemplifying a life devoted to the betterment of others.