In the News

Churchwell to be honored
http://www.tennessean.com/article/20090304/COUNTY0104/903040333/1196
By Nancy DeVille • THE TENNESSEAN • March 4, 2009

Dr. Kevin Churchwell has four biological children, but he's responsible for the day-to-day care of hundreds.

As the chief executive officer of the Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt, he works to ensure children who enter the hospital heal and go on to live productive lives.

"I get up every morning thankful for the job I get to do," said Churchwell. "This job gives me the opportunity to help somebody, lead an important mission and work with great people. You can't ask for anything more."

His accomplishments haven't gone unnoticed, and on March 10, the 1979 McGavock High graduate will be one of four new members inducted into the Nashville Public Schools Hall of Fame.

"I'm humbled by it, and it's greatly appreciated," he said. "It's an honor that can go to many people because I think our school system has produced a fantastic number of individuals."

Parents as role models

Churchwell, who grew up in East Nashville and earned his medical degree from Vanderbilt University, is the son of Nashville Banner journalist Robert Churchwell, the first African American reporter at a major Southern newspaper. His father died last month at the age of 91.

"My father wanted me to be a doctor and saw it as a great career path for me and my brothers," said Churchwell, who although ranked as one of the country's top pediatricians, was in his second year at Massachusetts Institute of Technology when he decided to pursue a career in medicine.

"Since my brothers had planned to be doctors, I was going to be an engineer. But I found out my freshmen year what engineers do and realized quickly I didn't want to do that.

"I was good at interacting with people, teaching and very interested in science, so it just made sense for me to become a doctor."

He and his three siblings were expected to work hard, be studious and follow the rules.

"Our household was very active," he said. "There were a lot of achievements, and all my siblings are products of Metro Schools. There were very good discipline standards set early on that kept me in good stead throughout my career."

The siblings didn't have to look far to find role models: his father, of course, and his mother, Mary Churchwell, who taught for 30 years in the Metro School system.

His twin brother, Keith Churchwell, a cardiologist at Vanderbilt, said Kevin, his one-time tennis doubles partner at McGavock, said medicine was a good fit for both of them.

"He's fine person, very highly intelligent and motivated. Competitive, in that he wants to do as well as he can, in anything that he puts his mind to.''

These days the brothers talk about sports, movies, style and family but steer away from medical topics.

"He keeps a very good sense of humor,'' Keith Churchwell said.

Teacher shows them off

He had many favorite teachers during his years attending Metro Schools, many of whom Churchwell credits for his success today.

"There was a lot of encouragement in the school system," he said. "That was the key thing for both my brother and I. There was the recognition that we could do some things, and we got extra work and opportunities."

Such support came as early as elementary school, when his first-grade teacher, Mrs. O'Neal, learned he and his brother had memorized their multiplication tables. She didn't have a problem taking them around the school for others to marvel at their accomplishment.

Sammy Swor, Churchwell's astronomy teacher at McGavock, is one of many he has invited to next week's Hall of Fame ceremony.

"He was always a well-mannered kid that did everything right," Swor said. "He was academically gifted and talented and just a role model for the rest of the kids.

"He was like a sponge, wanting to learn as much as he could."

Click here to download the pdf