Boone Powell, Jr., is chief executive of Baylor Health Care System.

Corresponding author: Boone Powell, Jr., Baylor Health Care System, 3500 Gaston Avenue, Dallas, Texas 75246.

I came to Baylor in early 1980 as the new chief executive officer. I was already a Cowboys fan, but in particular, I was a great admirer of Tom Landry. I

did not realize at that time I would have the privilege of developing a close friendship with the coach (Figure).

We had not been in Dallas very long when one of our trustees, Jack Folmar, invited Peggy and me to a small dinner party at his home. There would be 4 couples, including Tom and Alicia Landry. I was both pleased and excited. I began to think of some of the great games the Cowboys had played, and I had many questions I wanted to ask of Tom. As the evening approached and my anticipation built, my wife reminded me what it was like to attend a social event and be asked questions about the hospital and how inappropriate it seemed at the time. She suggested that Coach Landry would probably appreciate an evening without constant questions about the team. I reluctantly agreed she was right, but I was somewhat deflated by the proposition.

We arrived at the party and had a lovely dinner with pleasant conversation, but not one word was mentioned about football. It seems I was not the only husband to have been prompted in advance. Finally, someone broke the ice, and it was just like the television commercial for E. F. Hutton. We all leaned forward to listen and thoroughly enjoyed the remainder of the evening. This was the beginning of our friendship.

We became involved in a number of programs and events. We both had an interest in young people. Tom was involved with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), and I worked with Young Life. We crossed over and helped each other at different events and sponsorships. I was most impressed to learn recently that FCA estimated that Tom's volunteer work raised $100 million in donations. Today, the largest and most successful golf tournament for FCA is the Tom Landry Tournament in Dallas.

Tom loved golf, and we enjoyed playing together from time to time. The highlight was playing in Augusta with Frank Broyles, athletic director at the University of Arkansas and the president of FCA. Golf is a great game for building relationships and having an enjoyable time.

I was intrigued by the public's fascination with Tom. When people saw him they were attracted to him. When we went to a sporting event in Dallas this was evident. I recall an occasion when Tom was invited to speak to a meeting in Fort Worth attended by 15,000 people, and I was asked to introduce him. Dewey and Virginia Presley and Peggy and I picked the Landrys up and went to dinner prior to the meeting at the Convention Center. I had worked seriously on my remarks, focusing on both Tom's professional achievements and personal qualities. My introduction was interrupted twice by applause, and the standing ovation Tom received was most moving.

I asked Tom to join us at our annual management retreat in 1998 to share some thoughts regarding leadership. He did so and was so well received. Following his remarks, as was his custom, he graciously signed autographs for those in attendance. I have personalized photos of Tom for my 2 grandsons.

I certainly enjoyed our friendship, and little did I know that Tom and his family would need the service of our physicians and medical center. The first need was for his daughter Lisa. After waiting for 8 years to become pregnant, she finally received the good news. Shortly thereafter, however, she was diagnosed with cancer and came to Baylor for her care. Lisa rejected treatment for herself in order to give the baby a chance to be born. She felt this was a gift from God, and she was determined to honor that gift. The baby was born healthy. However, within 10 days Lisa needed a liver transplant to prolong her life. The transplant resulted in Lisa's having 4 additional years to help raise her young daughter. Lisa was a wonderful young woman who exhibited the same strong faith of her father. I would visit her often to try to encourage her, and I would leave her room the encouraged one. The strength of Tom and the rest of the family was truly remarkable. Today, in Lisa's honor, there is a foundation to help create donor awareness among grade-school children.

The second major need for Baylor was with Tom's own illness with leukemia. The Baylor physicians and staff were truly outstanding in Tom's care. And, Tom was truly an outstanding patient. The 9-month course of treatment required Tom to be in the hospital for weeks at a time. Alicia's devotion to Tom was never more evident. As Dr. David Winter observed on the evening of Tom's death, you could see the level of contribution Alicia had made to Tom's life.

I visited with Tom often during the course of his care, and I cannot recall one time that he complained about his condition or his circumstance. On my last visit I arrived with the family in the room around Tom's bed, and he had just taken his last breath. I was honored to join the family at that time in reading some of Tom's favorite scriptures and in thanking God for Tom's life. I was not surprised to observe that Tom died with the same dignity with which he lived.

It was shortly after Tom left the Cowboys that we were in the midst of building our sports medicine complex. After consultation with trustees and physicians, we decided to seek Tom's permission to name the facility in his honor. I approached him on the tee box of the first hole at Royal Oaks Country Club during the annual FCA tournament and shared with him what we wanted to do. He asked for a few days to think about it and a week later called to accept.

I was asked at the time of Tom's death to give 3 television interviews. Each wanted to know how Baylor came to name the sports and research center in Tom's name. Did he make a contribution? What did he do to get the naming? The answer was very simple. Baylor wanted to honor this extraordinary individual.

As we have witnessed in recent days the uniform acclaim of Tom's life, his faith, and the character traits we all admire, we are struck that we have had one of God's finest people in our community with enormous influence for the right reasons. His legacy will be captured in many ways in Dallas. We are honored to have part of that legacy on the Baylor campus.

Thanks, Tom.