Former optometry dean, William Baldwin, served the UH community for 11 years, leading research efforts during his tenure at the University. | Courtesy of American Optometric Association
Upon hearing of his induction into the National Optometry Hall of Fame from his Indiana home, William Baldwin’s first reaction wasn’t exactly joy.
“I was surprised,” Baldwin said. “I had been retired for several years.”
The former dean of the UH College of Optometry said he was honestly shocked that he was still remembered after being absent from the field for so long. However, his body of work throughout the years has solidified his right to be included among the great leaders in optometry, and he believes that his role at UH was critical in obtaining this level of prestige.
A World War II veteran with a Bachelor of Arts from Pacific University and doctorate from Indiana University, Baldwin served as dean of the College of Optometry from 1979 to 1990 following stints as dean of Pacific University and president of the New England College of Optometry. During these years, Baldwin helped expand the College and build its reputation as an international visual research center.
“We added half a dozen research faculty members the first year, and many had developed international relations,” Baldwin said. “They added to a strong research team that was already established.”
During his 11 years at UH, Baldwin experienced a number of fundamental changes in optometry as a profession. Along with its official classification as a health profession, curriculum changes and changes in entrance requirements, he also saw a gender shift in the traditionally male-dominated field. When he first started, around 15 percent of students studying optometry were women, Baldwin said, but towards the end they composed about half of his students.
Baldwin was also involved in humanitarian efforts, such as traveling to Africa to address the problem of river blindness disease. The trip directly led to the founding of the River Blindness Foundation, which he served on as executive director and chairman of the Board of Directors. He accredited much of this trip to Houstonian John Moores, who helped contribute financially to the foundation.
The last time Baldwin visited the UH campus was in 2003 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Optometry school. Now, 21 years after his tenure as dean of the school ended, he is cognizant of the strides the school and the profession have made since then and is optimistic about the future.
“It’s fair to say that optometry has changed almost as much since I left as it did during (my tenure). I think it has changed for the better in that optometrists are still leading professionals in diagnosing ocular disease.”
