Baden-Gibbs Award

At the March, 1998 Executive Council Meeting, then President-Elect Dr. Dennis Factor (Dallas) proposed that an annual award honoring an individual in the state in the field of OB/GYN for outstanding service to our patients and our specialty be established.
 

This award would be modeled somewhat after ACOG’s Distinguished Service Award. He proposed that at the 1999 Annual meeting we honor Dr. Wayne Baden and Dr. C. E. "Ed" Gibbs as the Inaugural Award winners, and establish this tradition and name the award in their honor. The motion was seconded and approved by the council members.
 

At the Interim Board Meeting of September, 1999, further clarifications of the qualifications for future recipients were developed, as well as a mechanism for presenting the membership with an opportunity to propose candidates by mailing a nomination ballot with each yearly dues billing notice.
 

The following criteria for future award nominees were developed:
 

1) TAOG membership
 

2) A lifelong commitment to foster and stimulate improvements in women’s health care which properly fall within the scope of obstetrics and gynecology
 

3) Outstanding/noteworthy leadership in Obstetrics and Gynecology in the state of Texas
 

There are many Ob/Gyn physicians in the state of Texas who have played enormous roles in the development of the practice of obstetrics and gynecology and who have contributed to the care of women patients. This award will continue throughout the years to honor those physicians, who, like Dr. Baden and Dr. Gibbs, have had great vision and worked selflessly to advance our specialty on behalf of our patients and our colleagues.
 

During the interim board meeting of September 1998, further plans were made for the Inaugural Baden-Gibbs Award presentation. Since the 1999 Annual Meeting marked the 25th anniversary of the ‘joining’ of TAOG and TX Section in producing a joint annual meeting, and it was the 70th Annual TAOG meeting, a ‘historical overview and perspective’ of our organizations was proposed. It was suggested by Dr. Dudley Baker (Temple), Secretary-Treasurer, that Dr. Baden and Dr. Gibbs be asked to present an overview of the history of our organizations and the development into the present strong alliance during the scientific program. This also would give an opportunity to have both of them present to establish and present the first Baden-Gibbs award. This was unanimously agreed, and it also was agreed to be kept a surprise to the two above physicians.
 

For the 70th Annual Meeting in 1999 in Houston, Drs. Baden and Gibbs prepared an excellent presentation on the history of our organizations. Unfortunately and to everyone’s dismay, Dr. Gibbs had to cancel his attendance at the meeting because of illness. Dr. Baden (still unknowing of the surprise), Dr. Baker and Dr. Factor met before the meeting and decided that they would ‘punt’ and would present Dr. Gibb’s information for him. Keeping everything well under hat, Dr. Factor and Dr. Baker arranged with Dr. Gibb’s wife to have a conference call placed to him in San Antonio during the presentation so that Dr. Gibbs could participate in the proceedings. Despite a few stumbles and last second flurry, the impromptu idea worked better than expected, and Dr. Gibbs was available to hear the entire presentation and add his comments on the history of both the organizations, and he was online when the new award and presentations were made to himself and Dr. Baden. Both physicians were deeply honored and touched by the presentation and the dedication of the award in their names.