Dr. Brinker (KSU ’39), 95, Okemos, Mich., died Aug. 8, 2008. A founding diplomate and past president of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons, he chaired what was known as the Department of Surgery and Medicine at Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine from 1957-1967. Dr. Brinker retired as a professor in 1978. Following retirement, he lectured at the Tuskegee University School of Veterinary Medicine and consulted on orthopedic cases.
Dr. Brinker began his career at MSU in 1939. From 1941-1946, he served in the Army Veterinary Corps. Dr. Brinker returned to the veterinary faculty of MSU following his service in the corps. During his tenure at the university, he developed an internationally renowned small animal surgical program. Known for his expertise in small animal orthopedic surgery, Dr. Brinker was the founding president of the Veterinary Orthopedic Society. He co-authored “Handbook of Small Animal Orthopedics and Fracture Repair” and helped introduce the fundamental principles of intramedullary pinning and fracture fixation. Dr. Brinker also helped introduce the concept of rigid internal fixation and the principles of the Association for the Study of Internal Fixation.
In 1961, he served as president of the American Association of Veterinary Clinicians. Dr. Brinker was also a past president and distinguished life member of the Michigan VMA and an emeritus member of the National Academies of Practice. He received several honors during his career, including being named Veterinarian of the Year by both the MVMA and the Gaines Dog Research Foundation in 1953. In 1959, Dr. Brinker received the AVMA Gaines Award in recognition of his contributions to the advancement of medicine and surgery for small animals. He was the recipient of a Kansas State University Centennial Award for Distinguished Service in 1963.
In 1966, Dr. Brinker was honored with the Norden Distinguished Teaching Award. He received the MSU Distinguished Faculty Award in 1969 and, in 1978, the veterinary college established the Wade O. Brinker Endowed Chair of Veterinary Surgery. Dr. Brinker was named honorary alumnus by the MSU-CVM in 1979 and received the college’s Distinguished Postdoctoral Veterinary Alumnus Award in 1988. In 2005, the ACVS bestowed on him its inaugural Founder’s Award for Career Achievement. An international symposium in Dr. Brinker’s honor will be held at Michigan State University in April 2009. It will feature milestones in the development of the veterinary surgery specialty and ACVS.
Dr. Brinker is survived by a daughter and two sons. One son, Dr. Jack W. Brinker (MSU ’82), is a veterinarian in Lake Orion, Mich. Memorials may be made to Michigan State University and mailed to the Office of Development, Wade O. Brinker Endowed Chair of Veterinary Surgery, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, F130 Veterinary Medical Center, East Lansing, MI 48824.