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Ralph Eichhorn was born September 15, 1917. As a child he attended the Ethical Culture School in New York City and was throughout his life a member of the Ethical Culture Society. After marriage to Fredell Lack on the 7th of July, 1947 and coming to Houston in 1951, he also joined Congregation Emanu El, which had been established by his father-in-law Abraham I. Lack. As a child Dr. Eichhorn was raised by his mother, Lena Pagel, and his beloved aunt and uncle, Clara and Alfred Scheuer. He remembered well his grandmother Sara Pagel and his grandfather Kaufman Pagel, who served with distinction in the Franco-Prussian War against Napoleon III.

Following graduation from the Ethical School he went to the University of North Carolina, receiving a Phi Beta Kappa and Beta Gamma Sigma awards. He then attended New York University Medical School, graduating in the class of 1942. He interned in the Brooklyn Naval Hospital after joining the United States Navy in 1942, and served on active duty from December 1942 to August 1946, retiring as a full Lieutenant. In 1946 he received a combat commendation from Admiral Struble for service during six invasions in the Pacific theater:


 * The Commander Amphibious Forces, United States Pacific Fleet, takes pleasure in commending


 * LIEUTENANT RALPH D. EICHHORN, (MEDICAL CORPS),
 * UNITED STATES NAVAL RESERVE


 * For service as set forth in the following


 * CITATION:


 * “For excellent service in the line of his profession and duty as Junior Medical Officer aboard the U.S.S. ORMSBY (APA-49), from 1 February 1944 to 15 November 1944 during the amphibious assaults and capture of Kwaialein, Aitape, Guam, Pelelieu, and Leyte. Lieutenant Eichhorn’s exceptional leadership was constantly a source of inspiration to the medical department personnel.  He consistently demonstrated sound judgment, remarkable resourcefulness and high professional skill in meeting unique problems in surgery.  His devotion to duty during the assault on Guam when he attented [sic] to the wounded continuously for 72 hours without rest and sleep saved many valuable lives.  His conduct and accomplishments under hazardous combat conditions were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.”


 * A.D. Struble,
 * Rear Admiral, U.S. Navy

In July of 1947 he married the eminent musician Fredell Lack, and they settled in Riverdale, New York. During this period, Dr. Eichhorn worked as a teacher in the department of Physiology at Yale University Medical School. In connection with a research project, he was one of three doctors who first used ultrasound in medicine.

In 1951, Ralph and his family moved to Houston, Texas where he practiced Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology. He was Chief of Gastroenterology at Baylor Medical School from 1957-60. In 1988 he retired from Baylor as Clinical Associate Professor Emeritus. Among his proudest achievements at Baylor was a 1961 Best Teacher award from the students.

He was a member of the Harris County Medical Society, the Southern Medical Association, the Texas Post Graduate Medical Assembly, the Houston Society of Gastroenterology, serving as President 1965-68, and the Houston Society of Internal Medicine, serving as Chairman of the Board of Censors in 1970 and Secretary in 1984. He held Diplomate Status with the American Board of Internal Medicine and was recertified in 1974.

Dr. Eichhorn served as a physician volunteer in Central America on the Amigos de las Americas, later served on the Board as a physician, and then served on the International Board of this organization. In this capacity he often visited Honduras, Guatemala and Paraguay, was made an honorary citizen of Honduras in 1969, and received an Order of Merit from the Guatemalan Army in 1970. He was the first recipient of the Savvy Award from Foley's in 1975 for his contributions to the city of Houston. He was twice a ship surgeon on the USS Ancon in 1965-66. He served a tour of duty for AMDOC in Chieng-Mai Northern Thailand at the McCormick Hospital in 1967. In 1977 he served a summer on an archeological dig at Caesarea in Israel. In later life, he participated in community theater in Conroe and The Woodlands, and played the lead in "The Man Who Came to Dinner" and "Inherit the Wind."

Ralph has always loved animals. He was a co-founder of the Houston Humane Society and served as its vice-president for many years. His interest in animals has included a deep interest in the preservation of species and a desire to aid the New York Zoological Society, World Wildlife, and particularly World Promise at Fossil Rim in Glen Rose, Texas.

Dr. Eichhorn has two children: Ardis Eichhorn, a Social Worker/Educator in Houston, Texas, and Dr. Eric Eichhorn, a Cardiologist in Dallas, Texas.