St. Louis, July 15, 2004 — Robert L. Barrack, M.D., has been named the Charles F. and Joanne Knight Distinguished Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

He also will serve as chief of staff for orthopedic surgery at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and chief of the Adult Reconstructive Surgery Service for the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at the School of Medicine.

Barrack will assume his new duties in September. The Knight Distinguished Professorship had been held by William Joseph F. Maloney III, M.D., who is going to Stanford University. Barrack''s appointment was announced by Larry J. Shapiro, M.D., executive vice chancellor for medical affairs and dean of the School of Medicine.

"We are very excited to welcome Dr. Barrack as the Knight Distinguished Professor," Shapiro says. "The School of Medicine and Barnes-Jewish Hospital owe a great debt to Chuck and Joanne Knight, and this distinguished professorship is emblematic of their commitment to our institution."

Richard H. Gelberman, M.D., the Fred C. Reynolds Professor and head of orthopedic surgery says Barrack''s appointment is another step in building the department''s reputation as one of the finest orthopedic surgery departments in the United States.

"We are very fortunate a physician and surgeon of Dr. Barrack''s caliber has agreed to join us," says Gelberman. "He is nationally and internationally renowned as a specialist in joint replacement. Surgeons from all over the world who are interested in the latest innovations in minimal-incision surgery and image-guided surgery have been regular visitors to Dr. Barrack to learn those techniques. Now, he will bring his experience to Washington University and Barnes-Jewish Hospital."

Barrack currently serves as residency program director, chief of the Adult Reconstructive Surgery Service, clinical professor of orthopedic surgery and adjunct professor of biomedical engineering at Tulane University School of Medicine. He has practiced exclusively in the field of joint replacement for more than 15 years and has performed more than 3,000 joint replacements. He is an author of more than 200 scientific manuscripts and textbook chapters on joint replacement.

"The combination of clinical expertise at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and academic and research excellence at Washington University certainly places them among the elite medical centers in the world," Barrack says. "I am honored to be selected by Dr. Gelberman to lead the orthopedic service at Barnes-Jewish as well as direct adult reconstructive surgery in one of the premier orthopedic surgery departments in the country."

Barrack completed a bachelor''s degree in chemistry with highest honors at the University of Tennessee and received his medical degree from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. He then did an internship in general surgery at the Naval Regional Medical Center in Portsmouth, Va., and a residency in orthopedic surgery at Tulane University School of Medicine and Affiliated Hospitals.

He received further training in total joint replacement at New England Baptist Hospital before joining the staff of the Naval Regional Medical Center in Oakland, Calif. During his tenure there, he was the recipient of the Navy Commendation Medal for contributions to orthopedic education and research and for implementing and directing one of the few orthopedic tissue banks in the military.

After leaving the military, Barrack completed a fellowship in hip and implant surgery at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital. From there, he joined the faculty of Tulane University School of Medicine.

He has received numerous national and international awards including the Russell Hibbs Award from the Scoliosis Research Society, the Award for Excellence in Sports Medicine Research from the American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine and the James Rand Award from the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons.

Chuck and Joanne Knight, who endowed the Knight Distinguished Professorship in 1999, have been involved in the St. Louis region and the Washington University community for more than 30 years.

Mrs. Knight is a community leader who has been involved with many charitable causes. She has served on the board of directors at Central Institute for the Deaf and the St. Louis Chapter of the Alzheimer''s Association. She is a past chairman of the chapter. She also served on the board of St. Luke''s Hospital for 15 years and was the first woman to serve as that hospital''s chairman.

She was the Variety Club Woman of the Year in 1997. Ten years earlier, Mrs. Knight was named a Woman of Achievement by the Suburban Journals and KMOX Radio.

Chuck Knight, chairman of Emerson, has raised funds to support the St. Louis Public Schools, the Mathews-Dickey Boys Club and the Annie Malone Children and Family Service Center. He is a trustee of the Missouri Botanical Garden and a member of the executive board of the St. Louis Area Council/Boy Scouts of America and the Business Council.

In 1996, Knight was awarded an honorary doctorate of science in recognition of his service to the University and the St. Louis community. His work on behalf of the University includes serving as a trustee from 1977 to 1990. In the 1980s, he helped spearhead Alliance for Washington University, a capital campaign that raised more than $630 million for the University over five years. He also was co-chair of the corporate committee for the Campaign for Washington University, which has raised more than $1.4 billion.

At the medical center, Knight served as chairman of Barnes Hospital from 1991 to 1995 and Barnes-Jewish Hospital from 1996 to 1998. He engineered the formation of BJC Health System, and he served as board chairman of that system from 1993 to 1998 while continuing to serve on the board of Barnes-Jewish Hospital from 1996 to 1998.

The full-time and volunteer faculty of Washington University School of Medicine are the physicians and surgeons of Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children''s hospitals. The School of Medicine is one of the leading medical research, teaching and patient care institutions in the nation, currently ranked second in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. Through its affiliations with Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children''s hospitals, the School of Medicine is linked to BJC HealthCare.