Dan W. Elliott, M.D.
Founding Chair and Professor Emeritus of Surgery
Program Director, General Surgery Residency
Wright State University Department of Surgery, 1976-1988

Dr. Elliott was a native of Greenville, Ohio, the son of James Scott and LaVirge Whitacre Elliott. He attended the Ohio State University 1941-43, and served as a medical corpsman during World War II. He graduated from Yale University School of Medicine in 1949, winning that year's Campbell Prize for highest grades. An internship followed at the Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center in New York City (1949-51), and then served as a medical officer during the Korean War (Captain U.S. Air Force 1951-53). He completed his specialty training in general surgery at Ohio State University in 1957 in a program headed by the renowned Dr. Robert M. Zollinger, who greatly influenced his future career and decision to practice surgery in a medical school setting. He joined the faculty at Ohio State, becoming Professor of Surgery by 1963, and began his research on pancreatic and biliary diseases.

During his career he published 105 research papers or textbook chapters. He moved to the University of Pittsburgh in 1964, becoming Professor of Surgery and Chief of Surgical Services at the Western Pennsylvania Hospital (1964-70), and then at the Veterans Hospital (1970-76).

He came to Dayton in 1976 to help found the new medical school at Wright State University, becoming professor and first chair of its Department of Surgery. Early in his tenure full accreditation was achieved for the integrated five-year residency program in general surgery sponsored by Wright State University with the full cooperation of all seven Dayton hospitals. He directed this program for 45 surgical residents until his retirement at the end of 1988. He was certified by the American Board of Surgery, a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and a member of a number of national surgical organizations, including the Society of University Surgeons, and the American, Western and Central Surgical Associations. He was president of the Central Surgical Association in 1987. In Dayton he was a member and deacon at the Westminster Presbyterian Church and treasurer of The Discussion Club. Dr. Elliott passed away at his home on August 1, 2004.