Kenneth R. Pierce

2010 Outstanding Alumni

Dr. Kenneth R. Pierce, '57

Dr. Kenneth R. Pierce, '57, received his DVM, M.S. and Ph.D. from Texas A&M University and was hired as an instructor of veterinary anatomy upon his graduation from the DVM program in 1957.

Dr. Pierce took a two-year break from academia to work in a private practice in San Angelo, TX, but returned to Texas A&M in 1961, where he was an integral part of the veterinary pathobiology department until his retirement in 1998. He has held a variety of teaching positions and even served as head of the department from 1978-1989.

During his career at the College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Dr. Pierce developed numerous new courses and taught a broad array of professional and graduate courses. He was involved from the outset in the development of Veterinary Clinical Pathology as a distinct laboratory service at Texas A&M. He was recognized with a variety of teaching awards including: the Norden Distinguished Teacher Award, the TAMU Faculty Distinguished Achievement Award for Teaching, the Harold Casey Award for Sustained Excellence in the Teaching of Veterinary Pathology, the Gamma Sigma Delta Distinguished Service Award, the Faculty Distinguished Achievement Award for Teaching and the Faculty Appreciation Award by The Southwestern Veterinarian.

A devoted researcher, he has an extensive list of publications, reports, papers and presentations to his credit. He became a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Pathologists in 1964 and later had an active role in the inclusion of clinical pathology as a specialty for certification within the ACVP. In 1984 he became the first clinical pathologist elected to serve as president of the ACVP. He has been involved in a number of other professional organizations including: The American Society of Veterinary Clinical Pathologists, the Charles Louis Davis, DVM, Foundation for Veterinary Pathology, the U.S./Canadian Academy of Pathology, the Texas Veterinary Medical Association (TVMA) and the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA).

Dr. Pierce and his wife Anne have been married for 53 years. They have two daughters who are both married to Aggie engineers, and three grandchildren. After spending time indoors for most of his life, he is now usually found outside working in the yard. He is class agent for the veterinary class of '57, and enjoys organizing reunions which in recent years have been held in the Texas Hill Country near his family's cottage in Kerrville.