M. Paul Capp, MD

M. Paul Capp, MD, is a Founding Member of the University of Arizona’s College of Medicine - Tucson. His leadership and expertise in the field of radiology began a legacy of medical imaging research and inter-departmental collaboration across the University.

Originally from Yonkers, New York, Dr. Capp enrolled at Roanoke College in Salem, VA with scholarships in both baseball and basketball. After graduating from Roanoke with a BS in Physics in 1952, he was offered a professional baseball contract with the Welsh West Virginia Miners of the Boston Braves organization. In lieu of reporting to spring training, Dr. Capp decided to study nuclear physics at Duke University from 1952-54. After that, he enrolled in medical school, receiving his MD from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill in 1958. He completed his radiology residency at Duke in 1962 where he was hired as a faculty member, quickly rising to the rank of vice chair of radiology.

In 1970, the University of Arizona recruited Dr. Capp to help start the Medical School. Dr. Capp founded the Department of Radiology serving as professor and inaugural Chair. Dr. Capp continued to lead and expand the department for twenty-three years. He earned a Professor Emeritus title in 1993.

During his tenure at the College of Medicine-Tucson, Dr. Capp succeeded in establishing a close working relationship with the Wyant College of Optical Sciences and the University of Arizona Physics Department, with joint interests in imaging for diagnostic medicine. These early collaborations led to the establishment of six joint interdepartmental appointments and a broad-based imaging research facility.

After stepping down as Chair in 1993, Dr. Capp was recruited to serve as the Executive Director of the American Board of Radiology, a position he held until 2002. Incidentally, the ABR agreed to relocate the organization’s headquarters to Tucson, Arizona to avail themselves of Dr. Capp’s leadership.

As a result of his valuable contributions, Dr. Capp received numerous honors, accolades and awards. He was elected to the National Academy of Science Institute of Medicine and is a Fellow of The Royal Society of Medicine in London. He has received three gold medals from the Association of University Radiologists, American Roentgen Ray Society, and the American College of Radiology.

Dr. Capp served on eleven committees at the American College of Radiology, including four Chair positions, a first vice-president role and he served as president-elect and president of the American Roentgen Ray Society from 1989 – 1991. Dr. Capp was bestowed a life membership in 1993.

Additionally throughout his career, Dr. Capp has served as President, Executive Committee member or Advisory Committee Chair for the following associations: the American Heart Association, the American Medical Association, the Association of University Radiologists, the Eastern Radiological Society, the National Cancer Institute, the National Institutes of Health, the National Academy of Sciences, the North American Society of Cardiac Radiologists, the Pacific Coast Pediatric Radiology Association, the Radiological Society of North America, and the Society for Chairs of Academic Radiology Departments.

With an array of diverse editorial responsibilities, Dr. Capp has served as a reviewer for numerous journals. He has been awarded industry grants totaling $9 M as a PI or Co-PI from industry, private, state and federal agencies. Additionally, he has written over 150 publications and book chapters and submitted over two hundred abstracts.

Dr. Capp was recently honored by his alma mater, with the naming of a building in his honor. The M. Paul Capp Administration Building at Roanoke College, built in 1847, is the oldest building on campus and was renamed after Board of Trustees approval in February, 2025. Learn more about Dr. Capp's honor.