By Jack Houvouras
HQ 75 | AUTUMN 2011
Penning the life story of Dr. Paul W. Ambrose was one of the most challenging jobs I have ever undertaken as a writer. The research alone was daunting, considering how much the 32-year-old physician accomplished in his extraordinary life. Then there was the subject matter itself, which was tragic and emotionally taxing. Yet in the end, the legacy he left behind is inspiring and should imbue everyone from Huntington with a tremendous sense of pride. Paul Ambrose lived more and accomplished more in his 32 years than most people do in an entire lifetime. Much can be gleaned from his story.
Paul was one of America’s pioneers in health care reform. His life’s work included fighting obesity in both children and adults through education and initiatives that advocate for more exercise both at school and at work. He was a physician less concerned about making money and more committed to inspiring others in his profession to become socially conscious. He challenged doctors to take on projects that would improve health in their communities, to travel to Third World countries to heal the sick and to dedicate a portion of their time to treating the underserved. He established programs that encourage medical students to become leaders in their communities and to improve the health care system by becoming involved in the political process.
On Sept. 11, 2001, Paul was working as a senior clinical adviser in the Office of the Surgeon General when he boarded American Airlines Flight 77. Many predicted that he was destined to become the youngest surgeon general in our nation’s history. His future was limitless. Unfortunately we will never know what he might have accomplished.
I have been fortunate enough in my years as a writer to profile a number of remarkable men, including Paul Newman, Chuck Yeager, Bill Campbell, Mike Perry, Jim Justice and even my father. I would easily count Paul Ambrose among that group. Writing his story has been an honor.
In many ways, Paul’s life reflects the words of one of my favorite passages by Henry David Thoreau in his book Walden: “I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.” That was the very essence of Paul Ambrose.
