RAYMOND LEWIS TANNER
Profession:
Medical physicist specializing in diagnostic radiology and radiation protection
with an emphasis on education and administration.
Birth:
December 11, 1931; Memphis, TN
Education:
B.S. Physical Science, Memphis State University, Memphis, TN, 1953
Permanent Professional Teaching Certificate for High School Science
and Mathematics, 1953
M.S. Physics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 1955
Graduate Course Work at Cornell University and Memorial/Sloan Kettering
Institute, NY, NY, 1957-‘58
Ph.D. Medical Physics, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 1967
Certification:
Radiological Physics, American Board of Radiology, 1969
Fellowships:
USAEC Radiological Physics, Vanderbilt University, 1953-1955
USPHS Biomedical Physics, Memorial-Sloan Kettering Institute, 1957-1958
USPHS Medical Physics, UCLA, 1962-1965
NASA, UCLA, 1966-1967
Career:
Following college Dr. Tanner received an AEC Radiological Physics Fellowship to attend Vanderbilt University with a summer of practical experience in Health Physics at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. With an extension of this fellowship he completed his master’s thesis, “The Velocity of Ultrasound in a Series of Alkyl Benzene Homologs and in Chlorine Trifluoride” under the guidance of Dr. Robert T. Lagemann. Dr. Tanner began his professional career as a Physics Instructor at Memphis State University in 1955. At which time he came under the supportive influence of Dr. Carl E. Nurnberger of the Baptist Memorial Hospital, Memphis, and began his radiological physics and radiation protection consulting practice which continued for more than fifty years. In 1957 he spent a year studying medical physics under Dr. John S. Laughlin at Cornell University and the Memorial/Sloan-Kettering Institute. Returning to MSU in 1958 as an Assistant Professor, he shared responsibility for establishing the baccalaureate program in physics, initiating a one year freshman physics course for non-science majors, beginning a physics of music course, and involving the senior physics majors in laboratory research in nuclear physics. This resulted in some publications and in several of his students winning AEC Radiological Physics Fellowships. He spent each summer working in industry to sharpen his practical approach to physics education. Dr. Tanner pursued his doctoral study at UCLA (1962-’67) under Drs. Moses Greenfield and Norman A. Baily, who supervised his dissertation, “Proton Dose Distribution Measurements in Low Atomic Number Materials”. During this time he was also a Guest Instructor in Physics at the Harbor General Hospital, Torrance, California. In 1967 Dr. Tanner became Professor of Radiology at the University of Tennessee, College of Medicine in Memphis, from whence he retired in 2002. During 16 of his years at UT Dr. Tanner also consulted in radiation therapy and diagnostic radiology at the Memphis Veterans Medical Center. In 1976 he served as the Radiation Safety Officer for the UT campus. From 1976 until 1985 he also held administrative positions at UT as Assistant to the Chancellor, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Graduate Studies and Assistant Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. During April and May of 1988 he was a visiting professor in the graduate medical physics program at the Catholic University of Ecuador, appointed by the International Atomic Energy Agency. For five years at UT (1990-’94) he held a professorial appointment in the new Department of Biomedical Engineering where he assisted in establishing its graduate degree programs and a cooperative agreement with the University of Memphis. Dr. Tanner chaired and/or served on numerous university committees including the Faculty Senate, the Committees on Radioactive Drug Research and Facilities Planning, the Council on Academic Affairs, Radiation Safety and Physical Plant Advisory Committees, the Chancellor’s Administrative Liaison Council, chair of the Search Committee for Statistics and Computer Science Department Chairs, and the Department of Radiology Executive Committee. Dr. Tanner also played significant roles in the Tennessee Academy of Science and the Tennessee Chapter of the American Association of Physics Teachers, serving each as president and on several committees.
Publications (selected):
- Tanner, R.L.: An Advanced Laboratory Project: Construction of a Wilson Cloud Chamber. Amer. J. Physics 26(1):12, 1958.
- Tanner, R.L. and Fingerhut, A.G.: e Beam Produced Lichtenberg Figures. J. TN Acad. Sci. 40(3):110-112, 1965.
- Tanner, R.L., Baily, N.A. and Hilbert, J.W.: High Energy Proton Depth Dose Patterns, Rad. Res. 32:861-874, 1967.
- Tanner, R.L.: Playing it Safe with Radiation. Amer. Inst. Architects Journal 56(1):39-40, 1971.
- Baily, N.A., Steigerwalt, J.E., Hilbert, J.W., and Tanner, R.L.: A Search for Large Events in the Energy Deposition Spectra of 600 MeV Protons, Rad. Res. 47(1):355-356, 1971.
- Tanner, R.L.: A Concise Dental Radiographic Survey Data Form. Health Physics 23(3):363, 1972.
- Baily, N.A., Steigerwalt, J.E., Hilbert, J.W., and Tanner, R.L.: Frequency Distributions of Energy Loss by Fast Charged Particles After Passage Through Large Thicknesses of Tissue-Equivalent Materials. Health Physics 22:497-502, 1973.
- Tanner, R.L.: “X-rays”. World Book Encyclopedia, January, 1975.
- Howland, W.J., Tanner, R.L., et al: RSNA Syllabus for Radiation Biology in Diagnostic Radiology Training. Radiology 120(1):233, 1976.
- Tanner, R.L.: Interface Between Regulatory Agencies and Users of X-ray Equipment. Applications of Optical Instrumentation in Medicine VI, 127:329, SPIE, Bellingham, WA, 1977.
- Wieder, S. and Tanner, R.L.: Trough Filter Chest Tomography. RSNA Scientific Exhibit, 1978.
- Tanner, R.L.: The Role of Professional Societies in Mandated Programs. CRCPD Publication, No. 88.2, 19th Annual Conference on Radiation Control. February, 1988.
- Tanner, R.L.: “Fluoroscopy”, World Book Encyclopedia, 7:307, 1988 Edition.
- Tanner, R.L., Hendrick, R.E.: Quality Control of Mammography Through ACR Accreditation, Proceedings: Physics of Mammography Symposium, Charleston, SC, April, 1991, Medical Physics Publishers (Book Chapter).
- Tanner, R.L.: Mammographic Screen-Film Contact Measurement. Radiology, 178, p. 883, March, 1991.
- Tanner, R.L.: Mammographic Unit Compression Force - Acceptance Test and Quality Control Protocols. Radiology, 184, p. 45-48, 1992.
- Tang, S., Barnes, G.T., Tanner, R.L.: Slit Camera Focal Spot Measurement Errors in Mammography. Medical Physics, 22 (11), Pt. 1, p. 1803-1814, Nov., 1995.
Awards:
High School – Elected to National Honor Society, American Chemical Society Award, 1949
Memphis State University – Elected to Chi Beta Phi (President), 1952
Vanderbilt University Graduate School – Elected to Sigma Xi, 1954
Southern California Health Physics Society, Radiobiology Award 1966
SE Chapter, AAPM, Jimmy Fenn Distinguished Achievement Award, 2008
American Association of Physicists in Medicine Activities:
- Chairman, Insurance Committee 1970 – ‘73
- Board of Directors 1970 – ’74, 1976 – ‘79
- President 1974
- Established the Education and Professional Councils 1974
- Secured National Cancer Institute Grant to Coordinate the Radiological Physics Centers 1974
- Committee on Education of Medical Physicists, Member
- Education Council, Member 1990 – ‘94
- Committee on Awards & Honors, Member 1993 – 2001
- UCLA Student Chapter AAPM:
- Founder and President, 1964
- Southeastern Chapter AAPM:
- Charter Member
- President 1972
- Co-Director of the Symposium on Mammography Physics 1995
Additional Professional Organization Activities:
- American Association of Physics Teachers:
- President, Tennessee Section 1972
- American Board of Radiology:
- Oral Examiner for Radiologists and Physicists 1972-‘99
- Written Exam Committee for Physicists, 1979 – ‘85
- Chair, Physics and Radiobiology Written Exam Committee for Diagnostic Radiology 1984 – ‘87
- American College of Radiology:
- Board of Chancellors 1982 – ‘88
- First Chairman, Commission on Physics and Radiation Protection 1982 – ‘88
- Fellowship Committee, Member 1983 - 1988
- Committee on Radiologic Units, Standards and Protection, Member 1985 – ‘92
- Councilor at Large 1988 – ‘91
- Principal advocate for establishment of the Mammography Accreditation Program 1986 – ‘88
- Founding Chairman, Committee on Physics Aspects of Mammography Accreditation 1986 – ’87, Member 1987 – ‘91
- Director of the Symposium on Mammography Physics 1988
- American Institute of Physics:
- Advisory Committee on Physics Education, Member 1989 – ‘91
- Chairman, Advisory Committee on Physics Education 1992 – ‘94
- Program Policy Committee, Member 1992 – ‘94
- Commission on Accreditation of Medical Physics Educational Programs:
- Organizing Member 1989 – ‘95
- Health Physics Society:
- Charter Member
- Committee on Malpractice Insurance, Member 1970 - ‘72
- Memphis Roentgen Society (part of the TN Radiological Society – ACR):
- President 1985 – ‘86
- Radiological Society of North America:
- Chairman, Associated Sciences Committee 1970 – ’73
- Arranged the jointly sponsored AAPM - RSNA Annual Meetings, 1974
- Third Vice President 1981
- Refresher Course Presenter, 1979 - 1980
- Tennessee Academy of Science:
- Executive Committee 1970 – ‘73
- Program Chairman, 1976
- President 1977
- Winter Institute of Medical Physics:
- Director (fundraiser, organizer, producer) 1981 – 2008
- Chairman of special sections, 1979 - 1981
- Annual presenter of professional, educational and scientific talks, 1979 - 2008
Avocations and Special Interests:
Beer and Wine Making
Blacksmithing
Handball & Racquetball
House Construction
Photography
Reading (philosophy & novels)
Theater & Movies (drama)
Travel (US & international)
Woodturning
Family:
Wife - Margaret Ann Foster, R.N. (Married - 1958)
Son - John William Tanner, Ph.D., Univ. of TN (monogastric nutrition)
Son - Paul Russell Tanner, M.D., Meharry Med. Coll. (radiology)
Daughter - Rebecca Lee Tanner, B.S., Georgia Inst. Of Technology (computer science)