J. Claude Bennett, M.D., in 1994 (image: UAB Archives)J. Claude Bennett, M.D., who served as UAB president from 1993 to 1996, passed away on August 11, 2024, at age 90.
Bennett was born and raised in Birmingham. He received his A.B. from Howard College (now Samford University) in 1954 and his M.D. from Harvard Medical School in 1958. After serving fellowships in rheumatology at the Massachusetts General Hospital, in molecular biology at the National Institutes of Health, and in molecular genetics at the California Institute of Technology, Bennett returned to Birmingham in 1965 to join the faculty in the UAB Department of Medicine. He was professor and chair of the Department of Microbiology and director of the Division of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology from 1970-82. 1982, he was named professor and chair of the Department of Medicine and in 1992 was honored with the William and Evalina Spencer Chair in Medical Science Leadership. In 1997, he was designated by the University Board of Trustees as Distinguished University Professor Emeritus.
A leading scientist in the field of microbiology, Bennett was one of the first to suggest rearranging gene segments as a way of understanding the molecular basis of antibody formation, publishing a major paper in 1965. As an administrative leader, Bennett oversaw significant growth in research funding, as well as in in faculty recruitment and retention, while he directed the Division of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology. During his time as chair of the Department of Microbiology, the department was rated as one of the best in the country.
Bennett was an honored physician-scientist, receiving awards from a number of distinguished organizations including Master of the American College of Physicians (1990), the Phillips Memorial Award from the American College of Physicians (1993), the Robert H. Williams Distinguished Chair of Medicine Award from the Association of Professors of Medicine (1994), the Francis Gilman Blake Award from the Association of American Physicians (1997), Master of the American College of Rheumatology (1998), the Carol Nachman Medal from the German Society of Rheumatology (2000), and the Kober Medal from the Association of American Physicians (2000). He was awarded honorary degrees by UAB (D.Sc.1992), the University of Leipzig, Germany (Dr. Med [honoris causa] 1999), and the University of Zurich, Switzerland (Dr. Med [honoris causa] 2008).
Bennett served as a member of numerous professional organizations, including the American Academy of Microbiology, the American Society for Clinical Investigation, the Association of American Physicians, the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the Royal Society of Medicine, London. He also was an honorary member of the Ludwig Heilmeyer Society (Germany).
Some of Bennett’s many notable professional activities included serving as president of the American College of Rheumatology (1981-1982), as chair of the American Board of Internal Medicine (1994-1995), as president of the Association of Professors of Medicine (1991-1992), and as president of the Association of American Physicians (1996-1997). In addition to his work in academic medicine, Bennett also served as president and chief operating officer of BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. from 1997-2008.
“Claude was an excellent physician and a strong leader at a pivotal time in UAB’s history,” said President Ray L. Watts, M.D. “He was greatly respected by his peers and colleagues, and I am privileged to have known him. He was dedicated to serving others and to serving UAB, and his kind spirit helped advance our mission to improve the lives of our community. His hard work helped position us to become the institution it is today, and we are forever grateful for his leadership and commitment.”
