One of the founding fathers of medical education in West Virginia, Edward Van Liere’s
impact on West Virginia University’s Medical School cannot be understated. As
a member of the faculty for 45 years and the Dean of the Medical School for 25
years, Van Liere oversaw dramatic changes in the medical program, most notably
the transformation into a four-year program and the establishment of a medical
hospital. Indeed, without his capable leadership, it is possible that the Medical
School would not have survived through the 1930s, let alone grown into the successful
institution it has become today.
