The Association is saddened to learn of the passing of a long-time Fellow, George Arthur Gates, MD, on February 8, 2025. Dr. Gates was inducted in 1981 as an Active Fellow after being proposed by Drs. Roger Boles and Byron Bailey. In 2003, he was elevated to Emeritus status.
Born in Chicago, Illinois, Dr. Gates grew up in Welch, West Virginia with his siblings where his father was a country doctor who flew an aircraft to reach patients in the mountains of West Virginia. George would often pilot the airplane and helped his father bring television to their neighbor by carrying cable up the mountain to connect people.
Dr. Gates matriculated to the University of Michigan earningv his undergraduate degree, and his Doctor of Medicine. He also completed his residency program in otorhinolaryngology while cherishing his time spent in Ann Arbor as a Wolverine. He served in the United State Naval Reserve at a naval hospital in Minneapolis. After his service, he joined the faculty at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio in 1971 where he would become a professor and the head of the otorhinolaryngology residency program. Every July, new ENT residents were welcomed to his home for a barbeque that was a display of his pride in the selection of his ENT residents.
In addition to teaching, Dr. Gates was a noted researcher, having had a landmark research paper published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 1987 for his work in treating chronic ear infections in young children. In 1988, he took a faculty position at Washington University in St. Louis where he remained until he was recruited to become the inaugural Director of the Virginia Merrill Bloedel Hearing Research Center at the University of Washington in Seattle.
He was very passionate about medicine, especially medical and surgery involving the ear. In 2004, he retired from active practicing medicine but his contribution to the education of thousands of physicians, lectures and surgeries both domestic and international, was highly recognized. Even with these honors and accolades, he valued his most notable contribution to the science was his pioneering work in cochlear implants and helping to restore hearing to thousands of individuals. Dr. Gates will be well remembered for his life spent in service to his Christian faith, his family and his fellow man.
Dr. Gates’ family will receive visits on Sunday, March 2, 2025 from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM at Porter Loring Mortuary in San Antonio, Texas. A celebration of his life will be on Monday, March 3, 2025, at 2 pm CST in the main sanctuary at First Presbyterian Church, 404 N Alamo St., San Antonio, Texas 78205, followed by a reception at the Church. The service will also be live streamed by First Presbyterian Church of San Antonio, Texas.