Thomas F. Frist Sr.


Thomas Fearn Frist was an American physician and businessman.

Early life

Thomas Fearn Frist Sr. was born on December 15, 1910 in Meridian, Mississippi, the son of Jennie Frist and Jacob C. Frist. He received his undergraduate education from the University of Mississippi and his medical degree from Vanderbilt University.
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., and Jack C. Massey, who helped Harland Sanders create the Kentucky Fried Chicken chain, he co-founded Hospital Corporation of America, 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. At the time, he made headlines for being the top wage earner in the US with a salary of $127 million. Shortly thereafter the massive fraud scandals of the corporation were revealed.

Personal life

He was married to Dorothy Cate, and they had three sons and two daughters: Thomas F. Frist Jr. ; Robert A. Frist ; Bill Frist ; Dorothy F. Boensch; and Mary F. Barfield.

Death

He died in Nashville on January 4, 1998.