Tranquada, Robert E.

Biographical/Historical note

Robert Ernest Tranquada was born in Los Angeles on August 27, 1930, the son of Ernest Alvro and Katharine (Jacobus) Tranquada. He graduated summa cum laude from Pomona College in 1951, and received his MD degree from Stanford University School of Medicine in 1955. Tranquada served as intern and resident in medicine in 1955-1958 and as a fellow in diabetes and metabolic diseases in 1958-1959 at UCLA Medical Center, and as fellow in diabetes at the USC School of Medicine in 1959-1960. He was appointed assistant professor at the USC School of Medicine in 1960, and associate professor in 1964, and served as chair of the Department of Community Medicine and Public Health in 1967-1970. He was associate dean in 1969-1976, serving simultaneously as medical director of the Los Angeles County/USC Medical Center in 1969-1974, and regional director of the County of Los Angeles Department of Health Services in 1974-1976. In 1976-1979 Tranquada was associate dean of the UCLA School of Medicine, and in 1979-1986 he served as chancellor and dean of the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. In 1986, Tranquada returned to USC as dean of the School of Medicine, serving until 1991. In 1992, he was appointed Norman Topping/National Medical Enterprises Professor of Medicine and Public Policy and chaired the Health Administration program in the then School of Public Administration. He became emeritus in 1997.

Tranquada established and directed the Watts Health Center (now the Watts Health Foundation), 1965-1969. He was a member of the Independent Commission on the Los Angeles Police Department (the "Christopher Commission") in 1991-1992, and chaired the Los Angeles County Task Force on Health Care Access in 1992-1993.

Tranquada is a member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences and a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He joined the Pomona College Board of Trustees in 1969, serving as vice chairman in 1971-1979, and as chairman in 1991-2000. He was ex officio member of the governing Board of Fellows, Claremont University Center, 1971-1979 and 1991-2000, and was first chairman of the Board of Overseers of the newly constituted Claremont University Consortium, 2000-2006. He also served as vice chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Keck Graduate Institute of Applied Life Sciences, 1997-2000.

Tranquada married Janet Martin in 1951; the couple has three children.

From the guide to the Robert E. Tranquada Papers., 1979-2007, 1991-2007, (Honnold/Mudd Library Special Collection and Archives)