Colleagues Mourn Loss of Lloyd “Holly” Smith, Founding Father and ‘Heart of UCSF for Half a Century’
Lloyd Hollingsworth “Holly” Smith Jr., MD, a visionary physician-scientist whose uncompromising quest for excellence over a career spanning half a century helped transform UC San Francisco into the world-renowned health sciences university it is today, died peacefully at his home on June 18. He was 94.
A Harvard-educated Southern gentleman with a remarkable sense of humor, Smith served 35 years as chair of the Department of Medicine and associate dean in the UCSF School of Medicine, leading it through significant growth. Even during retirement, Smith served as a trusted adviser to several chancellors and remained actively committed to UCSF’s future.
“Holly was the heart of UCSF for over half a century,” said Bruce Wintroub, MD, vice dean in the School of Medicine and a friend of his for 36 years. “He led UCSF into the modern era of academic medicine through his vision of the linkage of science, clinical care and education. He surrounded himself with outstanding people and led us all with his humor and his vision.”