{"id":69415,"date":"2020-11-13T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-11-13T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/2020\/11\/13\/time-out-with-t-o-stan-the-century-man\/"},"modified":"2022-09-02T17:28:33","modified_gmt":"2022-09-02T22:28:33","slug":"time-out-with-t-o-stan-the-century-man","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/2020\/11\/13\/time-out-with-t-o-stan-the-century-man\/","title":{"rendered":"Time out with T.O. – Stan the Century Man"},"content":{"rendered":"

Stan Truhlsen, MD, is a marvel.
\n

As he rolls toward his 100th birthday today, the legendary ophthalmologist\/philanthropist is still sharp as a tack.
\n
\n
\n
\n

\n\"picture
\n<\/TD>
\n<\/TR>
\n

\nFrom left, Ronald Krueger, MD, chair of the UNMC Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences and director of the Truhlsen Eye Institute, and Stan Truhlsen, MD<\/span>
\n<\/TD>
\n<\/TR>
\n<\/TABLE>

There’s no magic involved in becoming a centenarian, Dr. Truhlsen said — “just good genes. Both my parents lived into their 80s.”
\n

He’s no doubt making it sound easier than it is — only one in every 6,000 people will reach the age of 100.
\n

Born in the tiny town of Herman, Nebraska (30 miles northwest of Omaha\/population 265), Stan considers himself lucky to have grown up in a small community.
\n

His father Henry (“Spike”) wore many different hats — serving as mayor, running a hardware\/furniture store and — oh yeah, handling Herman’s mortician needs. His mother, Lola, was the traditional homemaker taking care of Stan and his two sisters.
\n
\n
\n
\n

\n\"picture
\n<\/TD>
\n<\/TR>
\n

\nStan Truhlsen, MD, at home<\/span>
\n<\/TD>
\n<\/TR>
\n<\/TABLE>

“It was fun to grow up in a small town,” Dr. Truhlsen said. “You knew everybody, but they knew you, so you had to behave.
\n

“The way I was raised you helped your hometown. You gave back to make it better. People all worked together. I remember the town coming together to build a grandstand at the ballpark.”
\n

Dr. Truhlsen learned the giving lesson especially well. His generosity can be seen throughout the UNMC\/Nebraska Medicine campus with major donations to several initiatives. His pride and joy — the Truhlsen Eye Institute — opened in 2013 at 40th and Leavenworth streets.
\n

See a photo album of Dr. Truhlsen<\/b><\/a>
\n

Five years later, he funded the skywalk connection between TEI and the Lauritzen Outpatient Center & Fritch Surgery Center.
\n

Much of Dr. Truhlsen’s philanthropy resulted from another connection he had with one of his patients — a chap by the name of Warren Buffett.<\/p>\n

\n

Endowed chair honors ‘Squeak’<\/h3>\n

Stan Truhlsen, MD, lost his first wife, Ruth, in 1976 after 33 years of marriage. Together, they had four children — Bill, Nancy, Stan Jr. and Barb.
\n
\n
\n
\n

\n\"picture
\n<\/TD>
\n<\/TR>
\n

\nStanley Truhlsen Jr.<\/span>
\n<\/TD>
\n<\/TR>
\n<\/TABLE>

Stan Jr. was known as “Squeak” for the unusual sound he used to make when he was a small baby.
\n

A golf professional during his career, Squeak was much beloved by his family and many friends. He died two years ago at the age of 67 following a bout with cancer.
\n

To honor Squeak, who was a staunch supporter of the Truhlsen Eye Institute and the Wiegel-Williamson Center for Visual Rehabilitation, the Truhlsen family established the Stanley Truhlsen Jr. Endowed Chair in Ophthalmology.
\n

The endowed chair allowed UNMC\/Nebraska Medicine to recruit Steven Yeh, MD, an internationally renowned expert in uveitis, infectious eye disease and vitreoretinal surgery. For the past 10 years, Dr. Yeh has served as an endowed chair at Emory University in Atlanta. He will begin his new position at UNMC next spring.
\n

“I believe Dr. Yeh will have a transformative impact on the trajectory of our growth as a Great Plains regional referral center in uveitis and as a nationally recognized center of excellence in uveitis research, education and clinical care,” said Ronald Krueger, MD, professor and chair, UNMC Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, and director of the Truhlsen Eye Institute.
\n

“His presence will no doubt inspire others to join us, as we continue to grow our faculty into a collaborative team of leading experts in all subspecialty services of ophthalmology.”\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Stan recognized how sharp Buffett was in the stock market. “When he would leave my office, I would ask him, ‘Got any good hints?’ He would give me some suggestions. Within six months or a year, I would usually double my money.”

In 1960, Buffett wanted to expand his operation, so he asked a UNMC physician, William Angle, MD, to try to find some other physicians who might be willing to invest $10,000 each in his partnership.
\n

Dr. Truhlsen was one of about 18 physicians tabbed by Dr. Angle to come to a meeting in Dr. Angle’s garage.
\n

“Most decided not to invest. Warren was only 30 years old at the time,” Dr. Truhlsen said. “I remember one of the doctors saying, ‘He’s liable to take the money and go to South America.'”
\n

Buffett guaranteed the original investors a 6% return, but he said he couldn’t tell them what he was doing with their money until the end of the year.
\n

Fortunately, Stan trusted Warren and took the plunge. More than 60 years later, they remain good friends.
\n

Buffett, who turned 90 on Aug. 30, jokes, “I just hope when I hit 100 that I can be the same cheerful and useful citizen that he is. They simply don’t come any better than Stan.”<\/p>\n

\n

Birthday banner displayed<\/h3>\n

At 11 a.m. today, Dr. Truhlsen and his family will drive by the Truhlsen Eye Institute, where mask-wearing staff members will greet them while socially distanced and display a birthday banner. UNMC Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, MD, and Ronald Krueger, MD, chair of the UNMC Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences and director of the Truhlsen Eye Institute, also will be among those greeting Dr. Truhlsen.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Ruth Scott, legendary philanthropist for UNMC\/University of Nebraska and a longtime investor in Buffett’s company, had high praise for Dr. Truhlsen, “Stan truly epitomizes the Berkshire Hathaway ‘culture’ — buy-hold-accumulate, but consider it a sin to ‘die rich,'” she said.
\n

While his investments grew, so did Dr. Truhlsen’s ophthalmology career.
\n

He was elected president of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), the nation’s largest organization of physicians specializing in eye care. He also served as president of the American Ophthalmological Society, the Ophthalmology Research Foundation, the Nebraska Academy of Ophthalmology, and the Omaha Ophthalmology Society.
\n

Today, his name graces the AAO’s Truhlsen-Marmor Museum of the Eye in San Francisco, the only free, public museum dedicated to the fascinating science of sight. <\/p>\n

\n

NU Foundation establishes Second Century Fund<\/h3>\n

In celebration of Dr. Truhlsen’s 100th birthday, the University of Nebraska Foundation has created a new fund in his honor — the Stanley M. Truhlsen, M.D., Second Century Fund<\/a>.
\n

“The fund will provide the margin of excellence to recruit and support outstanding leaders in ophthalmology and continue Dr. Truhlsen’s legacy for the next century,” said Ronald Krueger, MD, professor and chair, UNMC Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, and director of the Truhlsen Eye Institute. “This fund will be a game changer for our department.”
\n

The Second Century Fund will benefit initiatives such as:<\/p>\n