Dr. Frank Papay embraced servant leadership early in his career thanks to his relationship with his mentor, the late Professor Rush Elliott. Photo by Tim Harrison
An OHIO Today profile headlined “To serve & to heal” features Ohio University alumnus Dr. Frank Papay ’75 and the merits of servant leadership he learned through the teachings of revered Professor Rush Elliott.
Papay earned a bachelor’s degree in Biological Science from the College of Arts & Sciences at OHIO. He is a craniofacial surgeon and chair of Cleveland Clinic’s Dermatology and Plastic Surgery Institute.
Frank Papay would arrive in early morning at Professor Rush Elliott’s house on Athens’ east side. It was 1974 and Papay was summering in the city to paint houses and earn money to pay for fall tuition. What he remembers most isn’t the paint color used on the house Elliott, AB ’24, EMERT ’73, shared with his wife, Frances. Instead, Papay remembers the connection he made with the revered scholar during long morning walks. “And that’s when I really, really got to know him,” says the now world-renowned surgeon. “I developed a real deep relationship with him and his wife. And now, as I go through life, I think, ‘Jeez, if I can only be half that impactful through people’s lives.’ That’s pretty amazing.”
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