Batson College

Dean Batson was a decorated WWII veteran and nationally distinguished pediatrician who played a key role in the eradication of polio. During his tenure as Dean, he oversaw a tremendous period of growth for the school and medical center; notably, the creation of Light Hall, the ‘Round Wing’ and the Children’s Hospital.

The Phoenix represents virtue, purity and immortality, which serves to represent themes of Vanderbilt’s growth, as well as, the role of the Phoenix as protector of the innocent, a reference to pediatrics. The four trees represent growth and nature, signifying Dean Batson as an avid outdoorsman. The Latin motto “Multi murantur, pauci sciunt” is a Hippocratic aphorism, translating literally to ‘many admire, few know.’ This communicates that, while medicine is a selective and greatly admired pursuit, few truly grasped the ultimate significance of our art and its responsibility to humanity.