George Link Ackerman

Dr. George Link Ackerman, of Little Rock, died April 2, 2019. He was 89. Dr. Ackerman was born in Rison, Ark., on October 28, 1929, the youngest son of Leland Calloway Ackerman and Eunice Hamilton Ackerman. He grew up in Rison and graduated from Rison High School in 1947. He subsequently attended Henderson State College and then graduated from the University of Arkansas School of Medicine in 1954. After a year-long internship at the Philadelphia General Hospital and a tour of duty in the United States Navy Medical Corps, he returned to Arkansas in 1957 to complete a residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Arkansas Medical Center, with special training in diabetes and metabolic disease. In 1961, he joined the faculty of the University of Arkansas School of Medicine (now the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, or UAMS), and he rose through the faculty's ranks, promoted from Instructor, to Assistant, then Associate, then Full Professor, the position he held when he retired in 2000. During his nearly 40 years on the faculty at UAMS, he served at several points as the Chair and Vice-Chair of the School's Department of Medicine. Dr. Ackerman's career in medicine and his work at UAMS brought him tremendous joy. He was first inspired by his beloved mentor, Dr. Richard V. Ebert, who supervised him during his Internal Medicine residency and then became his colleague in the Department of Medicine. He was equally devoted to his students at UAMS, and they to him. During his career, students at various points dedicated the School of Medicine yearbook to Dr. Ackerman, selected him multiple times to speak at their graduation, and bestowed upon him the "Golden Apple Award" and the "Outstanding Faculty Award," all in recognition of his careful and caring teaching. He in addition received the UAMS College of Medicine Master Teacher Award, the Arkansas Cadeucus Club Distinguished Faculty Award, the Abernathy Award for Excellence in Internal Medicine, the Distinguished Physician Award of the Visiting Nurses Association of Arkansas, and the Distinguished Service Award of the University of Arkansas College of Medicine. He was appointed a Fellow and then, in 2000, a Master of the American College of Physicians, and he served the College as Governor for Arkansas from 1987 to 1991. Dr. Ackerman's devotion to and achievements during his professional career were matched, if not exceeded, by his devotion to his family and all he that achieved in making their lives full of adventure, happiness, and love. He never ceased to share his abundantly fond memories of his childhood days in Rison and of his story-telling father, his near-sainted mother, and his two older brothers, Jim and Tom. One of his projects in retirement was to author an account of his recollections of his hometown, called "Rison Stories." In 1957, Dr. Ackerman married his fellow Risonian, Peggy Thomasson, and together they raised two daughters, Susan (b. 1958) and Laura (b. 1960). It is practically impossible to express how deeply he loved Peggy, Susan, and Laura, nor is it possible to summarize in a few words how much fun they had together as a family. A particular highlight was the family's extensive travel, especially in the great national parks of the American West and during a six-month stay in England, in 1971, when Dr. Ackerman served as Clinical Associate at the University of Manchester. Closer to home, the Ackermans enjoyed weekends in Northwest Arkansas, canoeing (although often "tumping," in Ackerman parlance) on the Buffalo River. Home proper was also a very special place to Dr. Ackerman, especially the home he and Peggy built on a beautiful woodlands property in West Little Rock in 1974. Ackerman hospitality at that house was legendary, and Dr. Ackerman prided himself on contributing elaborate toasts to make meals and other events more special. He also made the woodlands of the property special, through his weekend work of brush-cutting, weed-whacking, and chain-sawing. And he doted on the Ackerman family dogs, a succession of terriers and Welsh corgis, who roamed the property with him. Finally, Dr. Ackerman was an avid reader, and it was a family joke that after he retired, he earned the equivalent of a master's degree in literature because of all the novels and poetry he read. He was also a long-time member of the "Book Club" in Little Rock, and in addition, he founded the Arkansas College of Physicians Reading Retreat, subsequently renamed in his honor the Ackerman Reading Retreat. There, he combined his love of literature and medicine, bringing together like-minded physicians from throughout Arkansas to discuss books of interest over the course of a weekend. Likewise, he was an avid amateur photographer, especially known for his photographs of wildlife and wildflowers. The walls of the Ackerman home are covered with the fruits of his labor, and his photographs were also featured in special exhibits at the Arkansas Territorial Restoration in the mid-1990s and at the UAMS library in 2001. Dr. Ackerman is survived by his wife of 61 years, Peggy; his daughters Susan, of Lebanon, N.H., and Laura (Bruce Smoller), of Rochester, N.Y.; two grandsons, Jason (Rachel Starr) and Gabriel; and a nephew, Tom. He was preceded in death by his two brothers. Visitation will be from 4-6 p.m., Saturday, April 6, at Ruebel Funeral Home, 6313 West Markham St., in Little Rock. Memorial contributions may be made to the George Link Ackerman Scholarship Fund, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Office of Development, 4301 West Markham St., Little Rock, Ark. 72205.