Blackburn Society Member Profile: 
Frank James ’53

Position: Professor Emeritus, former Chair of Anesthesiology, and former Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine

Residence: Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Born and raised: Philadelphia

Position: Professor Emeritus, former Chair of Anesthesiology, and former Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine

Residence: Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Born and raised: Philadelphia

Grades attended FCS: 1st through 12th

When you think back to those years, what did FCS faculty provide for you?
Security, for one. Friends’ Central was a stabilizing anchor for my family when my father was in the Navy during World War II. The teachers knew our situation and were incredibly supportive. Throughout my time at Friends’ Central, the teachers were very caring and interested in the students.

Is there a connection between those experiences and your support of the School?
We are who we are because we have observed people and how they interact. In many ways, the kind of person that I am—the kind of person I hope I am—is partly a result of what I saw modeled by the teachers and administration at Friends’ Central.

What would you say to a member of the School community who isn’t a member of the Blackburn Society?
When it comes time to begin to start to think about it, obviously you do what’s right by your family and your children and all that. But in addition to that, wouldn’t you want to support organizations that are meaningful to you? Are there nonprofits that have made a difference in your life as you made your way in the world? Schools like Friends’ Central can’t get all their funding from tuition.