OU Department of Dermatology Named After Former Chair

OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLA. – With posthumous recognition and appreciation for his tremendous contribution, the University of Oklahoma Department of Dermatology will now be known as the Mark Allen Everett Department of Dermatology.

Mark Allen Everett, MD, who passed away in 2006 at the age of 78, served as the chair of dermatology in the OU College of Medicine from 1963 to 1977. But his contributions didn’t stop there. He was also the director of the dermatopathology fellowship and an arts benefactor for the university, and he left a legacy of medical and philanthropic influence.

In 1970, Everett was instrumental in the realization of the Mark Allen Everett Dermatology Building for which he purchased and donated the land. The building stands on the OU Health Sciences campus at northeast 13^th Street, and, at the time, housed both clinical and academic operations. The department has since moved to a new location to accommodate growth, but the building remains a part of the campus and will retain the name Mark Allen Everett Building.

Everett came from a heritage of service to OU, as his father, Mark R. Everett, was dean of the College of Medicine and an OU historian. Mark Allen Everett was an esteemed leader in academia on a national and international level. He gave back to his profession as president of the American Board of Dermatology and the American Society of Dermatopathology. He was well known for his expertise in skin diseases in Native Americans. An art enthusiast, his gifts of visual arts to the OU College of Medicine, OU’s Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, as well as other locations on the Norman campus are highly valued.

His legacy lives on in the Department of Dermatology in many ways. Specifically, an endowed chair and annual grants, provided by the Everett Family Affiliated Fund of the Oklahoma City Community Foundation, support resident education and international programming. The Harold L. Boyer/Mark Allen Everett Chair in Dermatology continues to positively impact education and research. The Mark Allen Everett, MD, Skin of Color Symposium aims to increase knowledge regarding skin-of-color conditions and promote health equity in dermatology and medicine at large.

“Dr. Mark Allen Everett’s vast contributions to the university, and specifically to the Department of Dermatology at OU College of Medicine, are remarkable,” said Pamela Allen, MD, professor and chair of the department. “His esteemed leadership and vision left a strong foundation for future departmental growth. We honor his passion for academic excellence, research, the arts, and underserved populations in Oklahoma by officially naming the new department after him.”

About the University of Oklahoma
Founded in 1890, the University of Oklahoma is a public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. As the state’s flagship university, OU serves the educational, cultural, economic and health care needs of the state, region and nation. For more information about the university, visit www.ou.edu.