2018 Outstanding Alumnus Award Winner
Retiring with the rank of Major General, Dr. Higdon served his country for 38 years in the Tennessee Air National Guard. During his distinguished military career, he served as the Air National Guard Assistant to the U.S. Air Force Surgeon General.
Dr. Higdon served on active duty during Desert Storm and Iraq. He received many honors including Medical Corps Officer of the Year.
He is a 1965 graduate of Middle Tennessee State University and a 1970 graduate of UTHSC. Dr. Higdon completed an internship with Methodist Hospital in 1971 and later moved to Nashville to complete a residency in anesthesiology at Vanderbilt University Hospital in 1973, serving as chief resident.
Dr. Higdon returned to Memphis in 1973, joining the Medical Anesthesia Group, with Methodist Healthcare. During his career with Methodist Hospital he served as president of the medical staff, chairman of the Board for Methodist Extended Care Hospital, and chairman of the Board of the Methodist Healthcare Foundation. During this time, he also served as president for the Memphis Medical Society. He retired in 2014.
Dr. Higdon has served as vice chairman for the Tennessee Board of Medical Examiners, a role he was appointed to by the Tennessee governor. He has been active on the Board of Directors for the Tennessee Medical Association, the Tennessee Society of Anesthesiologists, and the Memphis and Shelby County Medical Society.
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