DeVault Alumni Center
About Virgil T. DeVault
Dr. Virgil T. DeVault was an important part of the medical community after receiving his M.D. degree from the IU School of Medicine in 1929. After an internship at the Gorgas Hospital in Latin America, Dr. DeVault returned to the U.S. and completed his residency at Johns Hopkins. While in Latin America, Dr. DeVault had been offered a temporary job in Ecuador at the Anglo-Ecuadorian Oil Field, Ltd. He was later asked to return as chief surgeon and medical officer for the company in both Peru and Ecuador and was awarded the honor of being the first foreigner in 17 years to do so. In 1937, he was named director of the Anglo-American Hospital in Lima, where his patients included presidents and prime ministers. The hospital was destroyed by an earthquake, but with Dr. DeVault's help, the newly rebuilt hospital became one of the best in South America.
Dr. DeVault and his wife returned to the U.S. in 1950. He helped establish a system of assigning physicians to provide medical care for diplomats at U.S. embassies. This allowed Dr. DeVault to travel the world. Dr. DeVault donated $1.5 million to the IU Alumni Association to be used for its new facility, which is named in his honor. Dr. DeVault passed away in May of 2000 after a life of dedication to IU and the medical profession.