NC West Virginia News

As a surgery resident at the West Virginia University School of Medicine Charleston Campus in the 1990s, Dr. Bryan Richmond found himself working on Christmas Day and needing to consult with an experienced surgeon. He called Dr. James Boland, longtime chairman of the Department of Surgery, and discovered that Boland was reading medical journals in his office rather than celebrating at home.

Richmond wasn’t surprised.

“He always led by example,” said Richmond, now chair of the Department of Surgery at the Charleston Campus. “He never put himself first. When you see that consistently over decades, it just leaves a lasting impression not only as to who he is but also what you ought to aspire to be.”

More than 13 years after his passing, Boland’s legacy remains significant at the Charleston Campus. He took charge of the fledgling surgical residency program in 1976 and fostered a collegial learning environment that has helped the Department of Surgery grow significantly, producing skilled surgeons and meeting regional healthcare needs.

“He influenced the practice of medicine and surgery in this community more than anyone else ever did,” Dr. Roberto Kusminsky, Boland’s friend and longtime colleague, said in a message shared with Boland’s family. “He changed the panorama of medical practice; he changed the culture of surgical practice and developed values that are timeless, and so they will endure. He built a house in which everyone wants to live.”

Generations of alumni cite Boland as an instrumental influence in their careers and continue to celebrate his memory through charitable gifts supporting a lectureship and professorship established in his name.

When Boland arrived in Charleston in 1976, he was already a renowned cardiothoracic surgeon who had performed over 1,000 operations. A native of Philadelphia, Boland earned his bachelor’s degree from Saint Joseph’s University and his medical degree from Jefferson Medical College (now Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University). He completed his general surgery residency at Philadelphia’s Graduate Hospital and a fellowship in cardiothoracic surgery at Parkland Hospital in Dallas, where he treated Texas Gov. John Connally for injuries sustained during the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy.

Boland traveled throughout Africa and Southeast Asia with Project HOPE before joining the Charleston Campus. His wife Kathy Boland said he was attracted by the idea of building a new program. Richmond noted that Boland stayed for 35 years because he could make an impact – contributing to academia, training high-quality surgeons, and serving the community – with support from WVU and Charleston Area Medical Center.

Initially, Boland was the only full-time faculty member at the Charleston Campus; however, today about 40 full-time faculty members are employed there thanks to his efforts.

Kathy Boland recalled her husband’s dedication: “I can’t tell you the joy he found in his life and his work,” she said. “He was a man who found his place in the sun and loved everything he did, and he did a lot of good.”

Alumni describe Boland as a lifelong scholar with exceptional intellect who loved learning about various subjects and had a unique gift for explaining complex science simply. His daughter Genevieve highlighted their shared love for medicine: “What I respect most about my father was that he did not fight change but instead embraced evolution,” she wrote.

Richmond emphasized James Boland's foresight regarding emerging innovations that would have significant impacts on medicine while noting that Boland never sought acclaim or recognition for pioneering several medical procedures during his career.

Boland also excelled as a listener who encouraged discussion among colleagues under settings like "the yellow couch" or under "the Hippocrates tree" donated by him to WVU's campus—a descendant tree from Kos island symbolizing ongoing educational endeavors inspired by him.