Richard and Margaret Burton Distinguished Professorship in Orthopaedics established

Richard Burton, M.D. (R ’64), has been a central figure in the University of Rochester Medical Center’s Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation, building it into a national leader in musculoskeletal care, research and education. His 50 years of service to the department and Medical Center have been a catalyst for the transformation of musculoskeletal care in the region.

Adding to his extraordinary commitment and contributions to the department and University, Burton and his wife, Margaret, have committed $1 million toward the establishment of the Richard and Margaret Burton Distinguished Professorship in Orthopaedics, with a goal of raising a total of $2 million to fund the director of the internationally recognized Center for Musculoskeletal Research. Their generous commitment supports The Meliora Challenge: The Campaign for the University of Rochester.

During Burton’s tenure as chair of the Department of Orthopaedics, he developed the vision for a multidisciplinary research center focusing on orthopaedic conditions. With his support, the Center was among the first groups nationally to have integrated teams of clinicians and scientists working together to understand the cellular and molecular aspects of orthopaedic disease and to extend this knowledge to improved patient care.

The inaugural Burton Professor will be Edward M. Schwarz, Ph.D., director of the Center for Musculoskeletal Research. Schwarz is a national leader in the study of the interaction of the immune system with the musculoskeletal system. His pioneering work is leading to potential new treatments for diseases such a rheumatoid arthritis, bone infections, and tissue regeneration.

“The Department of Orthopaedics benefited tremendously from Dick’s leadership, and I am thrilled that this professorship will carry on his legacy and honor both Dick and Peggy for generations to come,” said School of Medicine and Dentistry Dean Mark B. Taubman, M.D.

Burton, currently senior associate dean for academic affairs for the School of Medicine and Dentistry, has high praise for the emphasis on collaboration in orthopaedics and at the Medical Center: “We build bridges, not fences. Our outstanding research and clinical efforts reach across diverse disciplines, backgrounds and degrees, and focus on how to best treat and care for our patients. Our goal is not achieving today’s excellence tomorrow, but always striving to make tomorrow’s excellence better than it is today.”

A partner every step along the way has been Peggy Burton, a scientist in her own right, working as a research chemist, first at Polaroid and then for two years at the University. Over the years she hosted countless dinners and events in the Burton home, bringing faculty, residents, staff and administrators together and fostering a spirit of personal connection and collaboration that continues today.

“I am so proud of everything that has been accomplished in the department over the years. Dick and I are so pleased to see the outstanding work continue on improving the care of orthopaedic patients,” Peggy added.

Burton was a mentor throughout the career of Regis O’Keefe, M.D., Ph.D (PhD ’00), current chair of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation, the Marjorie Strong Wehle Professor in Orthopaedics and the School’s associate dean for clinical affairs.

“It is extremely meaningful for me to assist Dick and Peggy in the development of this chair and to celebrate their amazing contributions to the department,” O’Keefe said. “I was able to see firsthand the culture of excellence, caring, and commitment that he and Peggy promoted. Without Dick’s vision and support, the department would not have become a national leader in research and patient care.”

In 1974, Burton was recruited back to the University to help build the then new Department of Orthopaedics. In 1988, he was named department chair and subsequently the Marjorie Strong Wehle Professor in Orthopaedics, a professorship endowed by one of his grateful patients. During his 12-year tenure as chair, he is credited with building the department into one of the country’s top five orthopaedics research programs in National Institutes of Health funding. Also during this time, Burton led the team that developed a breakthrough surgery for patients with a common type of arthritis of the thumb. The operation, known internationally as the “Burton procedure,” is recognized as the gold standard therapy for this condition.