Thomas Fearn Frist (December 15, 1910 – January 4, 1998) was an American physician and businessman who co-founded the

Hospital Corporation of America HCA Healthcare is an American for-profit operator of health care facilities that was founded in 1968. It is based in Nashville, Tennessee, and, as of May 2020, owns and operates 186 hospitals and approximately 2,000 sites of care, including surg ...

Early life

Thomas Fearn Frist Sr. was born on December 15, 1910 in

Meridian, Mississippi Meridian is the seventh largest city in the U.S. state of Mississippi, with a population of 41,148 at the 2010 census and an estimated population in 2018 of 36,347. It is the county seat of Lauderdale County and the principal city of the Meri ...

, the son of Jennie (Jones) Frist and Jacob C. Frist. He received his undergraduate education from the

University of Mississippi The University of Mississippi ( byname Ole Miss) is a public research university that is located adjacent to Oxford, Mississippi, and has a medical center in Jackson. It is Mississippi's oldest public university and its largest by enrollment. ...

and his medical degree from

Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt University (informally Vandy or VU) is a private research university in Nashville, Tennessee. Founded in 1873, it was named in honor of shipping and rail magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided the school its initial $1-million ...

.Kenneth N. Gilpin
Dr. Thomas Frist Sr., HCA Founder, Dies at 87
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'', January 08, 1998 Dr. Frist served as a Major in the Army Air Corps in World War II.

Career

Frist began his career as a cardiologist in the Nashville area. In 1968, with his son, Dr.

Thomas F. Frist Jr. Thomas Fearn Frist Jr. (born August 12, 1938) is an American billionaire physician and businessman. He is a co-founder of HCA Healthcare, and the wealthiest person in Tennessee.

, and

Jack C. Massey Jack Carroll Massey (June 15, 1904 – February 15, 1990) was an American venture capitalist and entrepreneur who owned Kentucky Fried Chicken, co-founded the Hospital Corporation of America, and owned one of the largest franchisees of Wendy's.Gl ...

, who helped

Harland Sanders Colonel Harland David Sanders (September 9, 1890 December 16, 1980) was an American businessman, best known for founding fast food chicken restaurant chain Kentucky Fried Chicken (also known as KFC) and later acting as the company's brand amba ...

create the

Kentucky Fried Chicken KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) is an American fast food restaurant chain headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, that specializes in fried chicken. It is the world's second-largest restaurant chain (as measured by sales) after McDonald's, with ...

chain, he co-founded

(HCA), the largest private operator of health care facilities in the world, taking the company public in 1969. He is widely regarded as "the father of the modern for-profit hospital system" in the U.S.

Personal life

He was married to Dorothy Cate. Tommy and Dorothy used a positive reinforcement method of parenting with their three sons and two daughters:

Thomas F. Frist Jr. Thomas Fearn Frist Jr. (born August 12, 1938) is an American billionaire physician and businessman. He is a co-founder of HCA Healthcare, and the wealthiest person in Tennessee.

(physician, businessman, and philanthropist); Robert A. Frist (physician);

Bill Frist William Harrison Frist (born February 22, 1952) is an American physician, businessman, and politician who served as a United States Senator from Tennessee from 1995 to 2007. A member of the Republican Party, he also served as Senate Majority Lea ...

(physician and U.S. Senator); Dorothy F. Boensch; and Mary F. Barfield. In a letter addressed "For my family and future generations with great love," dated his 87th birthday, Frist writes, "I believe there is a God and in Jesus Christ. The only prayer I ever pray is thanking God for all the blessing I have . . . God in his wisdom, knows what you need." Frist grew up in the Presbyterian Church in

, where he claims to have never missed a Sunday from age three to eighteen.

Death

Dr. Thomas F. Frist Sr. died in Nashville on January 4, 1998 and is interred at Mount Olivet Cemetery.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Frist, Thomas 1910 births 1998 deaths People from Meridian, Mississippi People from Nashville, Tennessee University of Mississippi alumni Vanderbilt University alumni HCA Healthcare people Frist family American Presbyterians Burials at Mount Olivet Cemetery (Nashville)