By Patrick Wascovich

William Edward “Bill” Romans Sr., who founded and directed Bioinstrumentation Service at UT Southwestern Medical Center for more than 30 years, died on Jan. 4. He was 91.

William Edward “Bill” Romans, Sr.

Mr. Romans, a native of Memphis, Tennessee, was brought to UT Health Science Center – now UT Southwestern Medical Center – in the mid-1950s by Dean Dr. Frank Harrison to launch Bioinstrumentation Service, a campuswide, electronics and machine design and fabrication facility that supported many laboratory start-ups in the early research years at UT Southwestern.

“Bill directed the facility that maintained and calibrated equipment used in UT Southwestern research labs for many years. More importantly, Bill and his group designed and built specialized electromechanical equipment for research labs that could not be found elsewhere,” said Dr. Ernest Stokely, Associate Professor of Radiology at UT Southwestern from 1972 to 1987 who established the Radiology Imaging Center, a computer-based medical imaging unit in the department. “Bill's graduate training in electrical and biomedical engineering was combined with his unique skills as a superb ‘hands-on’ engineer. His breadth of knowledge of biomedical instrumentation was unparalleled and his behind-the-scenes contributions to UT Southwestern research will never be fully appreciated.”

Dr. Bob Eberhart, Professor Emeritus of Surgery, said, “Bill was one of the originators, and a stalwart faculty member of the Biomedical Engineering Graduate Program at UT Southwestern. He served as the student faculty adviser, developed and taught a popular and well-regarded class in bioinstrumentation, supervised student research, and contributed in other essential ways to the flourishing of this academic program.

“Bill was an important influence on the professional lives of 200 biomedical engineering graduate students during his tenure, many of whom have also gone on to make important contributions.”

Mr. Romans served in the U.S. Army attached to the Air Force beginning in 1943, and served as his unit’s radio operator while stationed in New Guinea and the Philippines during World War II. After returning home, he graduated in 1951 from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville with a degree in electrical engineering. After relocating to Dallas, he later earned a master’s degree in biomedical engineering from Southern Methodist University.

At UT Southwestern, Mr. Romans and his group designed implementation equipment for medical research physicians as well as personally teaching at Dallas area universities. Mr. Romans was Assistant Professor of the Bio Medical Engineering Laboratory and Director of the Bio Engineering Department before his retirement in 1987 as Assistant to the Director of Bioinstrumentation Resources.

Mr. Romans also helped to establish the Biomedical Engineering Graduate Program at UT Southwestern.  In addition, he participated in the expansion and collaboration of this program with the UT Arlington College of Engineering.

“He taught and mentored many biomedical engineering graduate students over the years,” Dr. Stokely said. “Bill had a great sense of humor and was a delightful colleague to have at UT Southwestern.”

Mr. Romans was preceded in death by his first wife, Mildred, and is survived by his wife, Glenna, eight children, 12 grandchildren, and 14 great grandchildren.