Dr. Henry Tazelaar - '74
The Alumni Association Board selected Dr. Henry Tazelaar as
the recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award for 2006.
Following a reception in his honor, Dr. Tazelaar later addressed
the class of 2006 during their graduation ceremony.
Dr. Henry Tazelaar put his education and gifts to good use:
serving men and women around the world with his expertise in
the pathology of disease, leading to better health for heart and
lung transplant recipients. His work with and investment in this
critical area of medical research reflect these central beliefs from
Timothy’s Vision Statement:
“We develop and encourage the gifts and talents of one another
to serve Christ and renew his creation.”
and
“We challenge students to serve in a global community.”
Henry Tazelaar graduated from Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Rush Medical College in Chicago, and trained in pathology at Stanford University in California. He has been on the Mayo Clinic staff since 1988, and also holds appointments as Professor of Pathology in the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Vice Chair for quality in the Division of Anatomic Pathology, and Vice Chair for Education in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology. Dr. Tazelaar is a global leader in the fields of pulmonary and cardiovascular pathology, and he has published more than 200 original articles in peer-reviewed journals. He travels globally to lecture and consult, and most recently returned from Iran, which proved to be a trip under the careful watch of bodyguards. His strong faith in the healing power of Jesus Christ was evident to the family of former teacher Don Greenfield while Don was at the Mayo Clinic for treatments, as Henry surrounded their family with his local family of faith.
He has been married to Peggy for 28 years, has two sons—
Andrew and Jeffrey—and enjoys classical music, traveling to
great places, hiking, backpacking, reading, and scuba diving.
He also serves on the Board of Ransom Fellowship, a ministry
that focuses on Bible study and small group interactions as a
way to exhibit community and foster accountability. Henry
not only works with organ transplants. He also plays a mean
organ of the church variety.
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