UC Davis Medical Center 2315 Stockton Blvd. Sacramento, CA 95817

The first holder of the Julian R. Youmans Endowed Chair in the Department of Neurological Surgery in the UC Davis School of Medicine.

Youmans is a leader in the field of neurological surgery and also is the founding editor of the multivolume text Neurological Surgery. Now named Youmans Neurological Surgery, the publication is considered the cornerstone work within neurological surgery.Youmans served as professor, department chair and training director between 1967 and 1982, establishing and growing neurological surgery and developing its accredited residency training program. Dr. Youmans became professor emeritus in 1991.

“I started the department in 1967 and am pleased that its excellence has continued to grow throughout the years,” said Youmans, a resident of Davis, Calif. “I have provided this endowment to support its research and education activities.”

Youmans is a well-known safety advocate who chaired an American College of Surgeons committee on trauma and was instrumental in legislating automobile seatbelt requirements in the 1960s. He also was an early supporter of driver-education programs, and later supported legislation requiring motorcycle helmet use in the 1980s.

Dr. Youmans was Professor, Chair and Training Director of Neurological Surgery between 1967 and 1982. During that time, he was able to build the department and develop an accreditated residency training program. A well-known safety advocate, Dr. Youmans, Chair of the Committee on Trauma for the American College of Surgeons, was instrumental in legislating the use of automobile seatbelts, which was first signed into law in 1966 in Mississippi during his appointment at the University of Mississippi. He also was an early supporter of driver education programs. Later, he supported the legislation requiring the use of helmets for motorcycle riders in 1988. Dr. Youmans retired from clinical practice in the late 1980s, but remained active with the third and subsequent fourth edition of the Neurological Surgery textbooks. As Professor Emeritus, Dr. Youmans still attends departmental functions and occasionally speaks at resident graduations and other appropriate events.