The History of the East Tennessee Lions Eye Bank

Representatives from 48 Lions Clubs in East Tennessee voted to take the financial step to sponsor the Eye Bank on December 20, 1964, after the definite need for such an eye bank had been established. This Eye Bank became a project of the Lions Clubs of District 12-N and District 12-O.

Dr. Harvey Coker was elected the first President and Executive Director; James P. Master, Vice President; Charles Lindsay, Recording Secretary; Leon Steinberg and Arthur Byrne, Legal Advisors; and Dr. J. Ed Campbell, Medical Director. Dr. J. Ed Campbell performed the first corneal transplant in the state of Tennessee, east of Memphis, in the late 1950's to early 60's. Dr. Campbell was a surgeon in the Air Force during the Korean War. After his military service was concluded, he began his practice in Knoxville. Dr. Harvey Coker was a general practitioner at the time and Dr. Campbell was the only corneal doctor.

One of the first donors to the Eye Bank was the Mayor of Knoxville, Mr. George Dempster. A sailor, just out of the service, was a recipient gifted with one of Mr. Dempster's corneas. At that time, a doctor had to do the retrieval and placement of the cornea within 48 hours; however, 24 hours was the preferred time.

In the beginning, the office of the Eye Bank was housed in Dr. Coker's clinic in the Karns Community. Much of the initial effort was devoted to educating the general public about both the purpose and the need for the Eye Bank. In 1967, Dr. Coker, a General Practitioner, announced that he would leave his practice and return to medical school to specialize in eye surgery. Betty McClaugherty, who had worked for Dr. Coker since 1965, was asked to work for the Eye Bank full time.

In January of 1968, the University of Tennessee offered the Eye Bank office space in their facilities, and the office was moved with Betty McClaugherty as its Executive Secretary. The Eye Bank remained under the administration of a Board of Directors consisting of Lions from the Clubs of District 12-N, and all operating expenses were provided by the Lions Clubs, except the office space that was provided by the UT Hospital. The Lions funds came from the annual White Cane Day solicitations and from activities of the various Clubs.

The Eye Bank remained at the UT Hospital until 1970, when the office was moved to the building of the Fountain City Lions Club on Magnolia Avenue. The move was necessary because the space available at the hospital was not adequate to maintain the necessary records. Betty McClaugherty remained as Executive Secretary, and all of the expenses of the operation of the Eye Bank were provided by the Lions Clubs of the District, while the Fountain City Lions Club provided the office space.

The Eye Bank soon became a member of the Eye Bank Association of America and gained much information on policy and procedure for Eye Banks at the regional and national meetings. Past District Governor Charles C. Lindsay, Betty McClaugherty, and Dr. David Gerkin each served as President of the Southeast Region of the EBAA.

Educating the public, holding in-service programs for medical personnel, visiting Lions Clubs and other civic groups, and providing display booths were and remain major projects of the Eye Bank.

At one time, a representative would be selected by each Lions Club in the District to promote the Eye Bank program locally, to provide booths at community fairs and public areas, and to distribute literature, to schedule programs for civic and church groups, and to get eye donor forms signed. These "Eye Wills" were collected as part of a District contest, and appropriate lapel pins were awarded.

The Board of Directors decided to involve licensed embalmers in removing eye tissue. It was felt that a number of eye donors were being missed at hospitals and the donors who died at home were sometimes taken directly to the funeral home. The funeral home personnel could identify eye donors and get consent for donations. Notebooks were prepared, instruments ordered, and shipping containers were prepared for use. Invitations were mailed to funeral homes in East Tennessee and the first Enucleation School was held at the Knoxville Academy of Medicine Building in October of 1974 with thirteen persons in attendance. Dr. David Gerkin and Dr. William Sullivan, who were the Medical Directors of the Eye Bank at that time, and Don Hall, a technician, supervised this training.

Recipients were interviewed by news media and much needed publicity was given the Eye Bank. More testimonies were given at Lions Club's functions, and church and civic groups were encouraged to support the Eye Bank program.

In 1975, the EBAA established Medical Standards for member Eye Banks, which required each Eye Bank to have a laboratory and a technician to examine, excise, and preserve the cornea. The need for a laboratory was urgent, but space at the Fountain City Lions Club Building was limited.

In October 1976, through the efforts of the Bearden Lions Club, Lion Howard Perry spearheaded the building of a new home for the East Tennessee Eye Bank on Cedar Bluff Road. The late Congressman John J. Duncan, Sr., gave the first donation to the building. Perry Como and Chet Atkins laid the cornerstone. Greg McNeil; who was the son of Lon McNeil, the President of the Eye Bank, was the architect. The office was formally moved to the Cedar Bluff location in August 1977. Senator Howard Baker held a press conference at the opening of the building.

The building on Cedar Bluff Road provided total facilities for the Eye Bank that included a conference room for meetings of the Board of Directors, who were Lions Club members and provided guidance and support for its operation. The Digital Equipment Corporation provided a PDP-11/45 computer that was used to begin the task of storing the information from the Donor Cards, which were solicited by members of the Lions Clubs at various activities including the local County Fairs or similar gatherings.

The Eye Bank Auxiliary was organized in 1978 with Sharon Gerkin as President. Other officers included Mary Kay Sullivan, Lorraine Childs, and Jean McClain. The major function of the Auxiliary was to provide education and fund raising.

The Eye Bank needs were growing. Not only was more eye tissue being processed, but the waiting list was growing by the day. The need for processing of tissue and its distribution for about half the state of Tennessee was provided.

In 1983, the Lions of District 12-O removed their support of the East Tennessee Eye Bank and formed an Eye Bank at the Miller Eye Center in Chattanooga. After the formation of the Eye Bank in Chattanooga, the East Tennessee Eye Bank continued to serve the eastern part of the State.

The need for more tissue, more publicity, and greater liaison with the medical staff, the Eye Bank needed a closer relationship with hospital officials, which led the Board to consider moving back into hospital facilities. Transplant centers were being established across the country, and we were anxious to be an integral part of the medical community.

The Eye Bank was invited to return to the University of Tennessee Medical Center, retain its own identity and have essentially the same facilities as it did in its own building. So, in August of 1986, the Eye Bank moved back to the University of Tennessee Medical Center. It has continued in that location and has continued to enjoy a good working relationship with the medical personnel.

About the same time, papers were completed and submitted to the International Association of Lions Clubs to add the word "Lions" to the name of the organization.

Another change was to trade the PDP-11/45, which had a relatively high maintenance cost, for a more modern (and much smaller) PC-AT computer. This computer was replaced, in turn, by a ZEOS 486 computer, and now a HP Pavilion Pentium computer has been added to the facilities.

In 1990, Betty McClaugherty retired from the East Tennessee Lions Eye Bank, and Stephanie Maiden was hired as Executive Director. Stephanie remained with the Eye Bank until March of 1998. In June 1998, The Board voted to hire Valerie Stewart, then Director of the Low Vision Rehabilitation Center from Retina Associates of East Tennessee, P.C., to be the new Executive Director.

The eye tissue processed by the East Tennessee Lions Eye Bank has continued to increase each year. This increase is due to a number of factors, including in-service training sessions with the nursing staffs of local hospitals to make them aware of the need for donor tissue. There have also been changes in Tennessee laws that have helped the donation of eye tissue. The most notable effect is that the number of persons on lists waiting for eye tissue to become available has continued to decrease at a marked rate.

Several years ago, the Lions began to accumulate limited funds in a separate account that could be used for research that will benefit the transplantation of eye tissue. At present, Dr. David J. Harris, Jr., MD, who is the Medical Director for the Eye Bank, is continuing a study with a grant from these funds to determine effects on the ultimate visual acuity of the recipient. This Research Fund has since been discontinued; however, other programs are being implemented to help the East Tennessee Lions Eye Bank to become self-sufficient. With the continued guidance of the Lions and the ingenuity and aptitude of the staff, the Eye Bank will continue to help in the great cause of securing greater vision for years to come.

Information about the East Tennessee Lions Eye Bank can now be obtained from its web site at http://www.korrnet.org/eyebank.