Thursday, July 19, 2007
Bill Frist to teach at Princeton University
Princeton University announced this morning last month* that former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist '74 will teach at the Woodrow Wilson School during the 2007-08 academic year.
He will be appointed for the 2007-08 academic year as the Frederick H. Schultz Class of 1951 Professor of International Economic Policy, with the rank of lecturer of public and international affairs. Frist, 55, will teach a graduate course in the Woodrow Wilson School on health policy during the fall semester and an undergraduate course on a similar subject in the spring.
"We are very pleased to welcome Bill Frist back to Princeton and the Woodrow Wilson School," said Anne-Marie Slaughter, dean of the school. "His years of experience in public service as a doctor and as a leader in the U.S. Senate make him an ideal practitioner-professor. Our students will benefit from his perspectives both as a healer and as Senate majority leader."
I could not be more delighted. Regular readers know that I have tremendous admiration for Bill Frist, who thinks deeply and speaks widely about the impact of public health on geopolitics. He also practices what he preaches, as regular readers of Dr. Frist's own blog well know.
Also, this appointment merits another tip o' the hat to Dean Slaughter, who has repeatedly gone out of her way to expose her students to views substantially to the right of her own. In that regard, she has a respect for diversity of opinion that is all too rare in elite American universities.
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*The original announcement date was June 19, which I did not notice because Princeton sent out the email alert today, July 19. Doh! Still good news, though.
8 Comments:
By 
, at
Thu Jul 19, 12:18:00 PM:
There was an entertaining letter to the editor in the Packet, complaining about this appointment.
Dean Slaughter, Secretary of State in waiting, has indeed done her students a service.
Andrew
By 
Escort81, at
Thu Jul 19, 01:18:00 PM:
Frist might be an example of someone who is too nice of a guy, and too talented at other, more meaningful things (medicine) to be successful in politics. You kind of feel as though you just want to have a drink with him next to the old jukebox in the basement of the Cheese, not debate the intricacies of some pending bill before the Senate.
I do agree with the criticism of him that followed his attempted diagnosis of Terry Schiavo from the well of the Senate. He should have known better as a doctor than to speculate on a patient without seeing the patient or engaging in a detailed review of her medical records, regardless of his views on pulling the plug (or shoring up his political base).
Anyone who is respected by (and personally close with) Uwe Reinhardt on health care economics is probably not from the right wing of the Republican party on matters such as health insurance, and has an open mind on how to make the system better serve both patients and doctors (as well as pharma and device companies, so they keep innovating).
I wonder, if you sat Bill Bradley '65 down next to Frist for a 2 hour discussion, how far apart the two of them would be on almost any significant domestic policy issue (taxes, healthcare, environment).
Maybe Dean Slaughter could arrange such a meeting in one of the Wilson School bowls.
By Paradise, at
Thu Jul 19, 02:12:00 PM:
I suspect that the students at Princeton are in for a treat. Bill Frist is an incredibly intelligent guy, who is not nearly as conservative on health care issues as he is on social issues. He will be a credit to Princeton. Kudos to Dean Slaughter. Uwe Reinhardt remains close to Senator Frist, and there is good reason for that. Frist can teach us all a lot, if we can just listen.
By Christopher Chambers, at
Thu Jul 19, 02:46:00 PM:
Yeah, that Schiavo stuff was a great example of "deep thought." Whether he was cynicaly pandering to the righties or really believed this nonsense, it single handedly pushed my dad off the fence into becoming a Democrat.
By SR, at
Thu Jul 19, 02:59:00 PM:
Sorry to trash this party, but Dr. Fristwas a placeholder as majority leader, and I'd be extremely surprised if there was much of actual practical substance revealed in his Wilson School seminars. If he really wanted to make a difference, he would spearhead a private sector initiative to deal with the problems in the US health "system." Teaching at Princeton, however, is just the sort of window dressing I've come to expect from the 'retired in his prime" heart surgeon/ U.S. Senator.
By Paradise, at
Thu Jul 19, 07:23:00 PM:
Uh, SR, you obviously have no idea what Dr. Frist has been doing since leaving the Senate. He has been working very hard to deal with the problems in the US health system. He also is working very hard with the One Campaign, which he co-chairs with former Senator Tom Daschle, to get commitments from all Presidential candidates regarding the fight against poverty around the world. You would be amazed what you would learn, if you would just open your mind to learning new things. It would be an honor to attend a class conducted by Dr. Frist.
Christopher, I am in agreement that the Schiavo case was not Bill Frist's finest moment. It is nice to know that you have never personally done something that you regretted. Congratulations. I am not that lucky.
By SR, at
Thu Jul 19, 09:23:00 PM:
Ginny,
You haven't said exactly what Dr. Frist has been doing since he left the Senate to deal with problems in the US Health system. The reason I have no idea about it is that there has been no publicity about it.
This is indeed what he should be doing because he has the access to both governmental and private capital both of which will be needed.
As far as the One Campaign, I'm disappointed to hear that Frist has hooked up with Tom Daschle, Matt Damon, Bono, and the rest of the usual Hollywood suspects out to assuage their guilt. The problem of poverty, and the resultant disease and hunger will not be solved by You Tube campaigns and rock concerts. It will only be solved when the Third world Gap (to use Thomas Barnett's term) countries connect commercally and politically with the First world Core countries.
With all due respect, Ginny, I seriously doubt the Wilson School seminars will equip you or anyone with what is needed to accomplish this.
By Paradise, at
Thu Jul 19, 09:46:00 PM:
SR, that wasn't my point about the classes to be taught by Dr. Frist. My point was that he has a lot to offer all of us. I don't think it is his fault that all the good things that he does don't get the publicity he should. As a conservative, I have no problem with him working with anyone if it can offer solutions to world hunger. Dr. Frist has been speaking out on issue of health care in the United States. Thanks for being fair. You raise valid points. I wish that there was a way to get publicity for all the good things that Dr. Frist has been working on.
