Chapter 08: Clark, LeMaistre, Mendelsohn: Leadership Styles

In this Chapter, Dr. Lichtiger compares the leadership styles and talents of the first three presidents of the institution. He describes R. Lee Clark’s creativity and big-vision thinking in very detailed terms. He notes Dr. LeMaistre’s [Oral History Interview] ability to operate in political scenes at the state and national levels and Dr. Mendelsohn’s [Oral History Interview] talent for fundraising and building. Dr. Lichtiger also describes how the structure of MD Anderson changed to a more corporate structure after R. Lee Clark retired, making it more difficult to speak directly and at length with the institution’s top administrator to get projects underway. He gives some historical background about the blocks that were thrown in the way of MD Anderson’s growth and confirms that the Blood Bank was part of R. Lee Clark’s vision for MD Anderson.