A Legacy in Paint: Wahl Portrait Commemorated
A new portrait hangs in the Mallinckrodt Tower honoring the leadership and legacy of Richard L. Wahl, MD, the Michel M. Ter-Pogossian Professor of Radiology and the previous director of WashU Medicine Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology (MIR).
A pioneer in the use of PET scans to diagnose cancer and other diseases, Wahl was among the first to harness the immune system to deliver radiation therapy directly to cancer cells, a technique now known as radioimmunotherapy. He also helped advance the use of quantitative data from multiple imaging modalities to create fusion images, enabling physicians to diagnose and characterize cancers with greater precision.
Wahl holds 18 radiology patents and has authored more than 450 peer-reviewed scientific publications. His contributions to science have earned him numerous honors, including the 2024 Minoshima-Pappas Transformational Leadership Award and the 2018 Georg Charles de Hevesy Award from the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, where he also served as president. He is an elected member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation, the American Association of Physicians, and the National Academy of Medicine, and is a fellow of the American College of Radiology.
Wahl led the department from 2014 to 2023. Reflecting on his career, Wahl said his greatest accomplishment was recognizing leadership potential, empowering talented people to lead and ensuring they have the support and resources to succeed.
The department commissioned St. Louis-based artist Jamie Adams after conducting a national search. Adams is a figurative painter working “in the vein of personal memoir,” creating fictional narratives as mnemonic markers to explore the psyche. A photoshoot was completed in Wahl’s office, then Adams completed the portrait in their home studio. Both Wahl and current MIR Director Pamela K. Woodard, MD, visited separately as the portrait neared completion to give feedback to help Adams accurately capture Wahl’s expressions and habits.
The new painting, completed in November 2023, accompanies portraits of the previous directors of the department: Sherwood Moore, MD (1927-1949); Hugh M. Wilson, MD (1949-1964); Juan M. Taveras, MD (1964-1971); Ronald G. Evens, MD (1971-1999); and R. Gilbert Jost, MD (1999-2013). There are also three additional portraits: industrialists and department benefactors Edward Mallinckrodt, Sr., and his son, Edward M. Mallinckrodt, Jr., as well as Wendell G. Scott, MD, a legend in the field who — in addition to serving as a radiologist at MIR — served as the president of the American Cancer Society and editor of the organization’s journal, Cancer.
Sherwood Moore, MD. The founding director of MIR, Moore was an expert on diseases of the gall bladder and bile ducts, and helped develop techniques for visualizing the gall bladder. He also helped build a cyclotron on the Danforth Campus to produce radioactive isotopes for medical use, which was used to produced plutonium for the Manhattan Project.
Hugh M. Wilson, MD. A modest man, he refused almost all public recognition, acceding only to the establishment of an award in his name for medical students who demonstrated excellence in radiology.
Juan M. Taveras, MD. He is widely regarded as the father of the medical specialty of neuroradiology, having co-authored the first textbook of this specialty and founded both the American Society of Neuroradiology and its journal.
During his 28-year tenure, Ronald G. Evens, MD, helped elevate MIR into a globally recognized leader in radiology. He also held several major leadership roles, including president and CEO of St. Louis Children’s Hospital, vice chancellor for financial affairs at Washington University and president of Barnes-Jewish Hospital.
R. Gilbert Jost, MD, is internationally known for his work to expand and improve the use of information technology in the practice of diagnostic radiology.
Wendell G. Scott, MD, advanced the fields of radiology and cancer research through innovations in diagnostic imaging and national leadership in cancer policy. He helped shape the National Cancer Act of 1971 and served as president of both the American Cancer Society and the American Roentgen Ray Society.
Industrialist Edward Mallinckrodt, Sr., achieved success in chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturing after establishing G. Mallinckrodt & Co. with his two brothers in 1897. His philanthropic pursuits later in life helped develop pediatric, pharmaceutical, pathology and radiology facilities at WashU Medicine.
Edward M. Mallinckrodt, Jr. served the company founded by his father and uncles for more than 64 years. Over time, he expanded the company from a small chemical producer to a major producer of fine chemicals for industry and medicine. MIR was substantially endowed by Mallinckrodt as a tribute to his father.
