Dr. Richard L. Ott taught more than four decades of WSU veterinary students, many of whom went on to become the best private practitioners; veterinary faculty; and researchers in the world. His gift as an educator was not limited to clinical teaching. Dick Ott was also well known nationally and internationally for his contributions to small animal research.

Such a legacy as that left by Dick Ott simply could not go unrecognized for perpetuity and so with the urging of key individuals, this college undertook the task of raising the money for an endowed chair in his name. His legacy could also have not lived on without the generous donations and selfless time contributed by his friends and colleagues.

Last but not least by any means, the continuing legacy of Dr. Richard L. Ott would not have been possible without the generous support and encouragement of the Ott family, Mr. Steve Ott and his wife, Mrs. Panetha Ott as well as Mr. and Mrs. Carl and Susan Ott.

In addition to the Dr. Richard L. Ott Endowed Chair in Small Animal Medicine and Research we have taken this opportunity to name the small animal portion of the WSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital the Dr. Richard L. Ott Small Animal Medical Center.

An endowed chair is essentially private funding for a university faculty position. For the donors, an endowed chair means a politically untouchable area of emphasis in a field they desire and care about; often named after a person they care about like Dick Ott. Politically untouchable, means that the position created by the endowed chair will never go away in a budget cut or with a change in political or administrative leadership. It is here forever and will continue to grow and prosper with time.

For the recipient institution, an endowed chair means we have a new faculty position available for which we can recruit the absolute best authority in the area of interest. Typically a person recruited to an endowed chair is a nationally and internationally renowned scientist, teacher, and mentor…just like Dick Ott was.