As we celebrate Pride Month, we are honored to recognize Dr. William “Bill” Owen (224), a physician and fearless LGBTQ+ advocate, whose life’s work has saved and transformed countless lives.
Bill’s journey began in the classrooms of Central High and carried him through a life of service rooted in integrity, innovation, and empathy.
After graduating from Temple Medical School in 1973, Bill applied for and accepted a prestigious fellowship in emergency medicine at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF).
During this time, Bill formed the nation’s first gay physicians’ organization, Bay Area Physicians for Human Rights, which became the foundation of what is now the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association—a leading organization for LGBTQ+ healthcare equality.
A successful, proud, gay man and respected physician, Bill helped many others gain the courage to come out during a time when fear often overshadowed authenticity and living one’s true self.
Bill emerged as a national leader in HIV/AIDS treatment and research. In 1980, Bill wrote and published the first two comprehensive reviews about gay health to ever appear in an influential medical journal, Annals of Internal Medicine.
Dr. Owen’s work laid the foundation for LGBTQ+ healthcare as a specialty, and in recognition of his profound impact, the Owen Clinic was established. UC San Diego named its first LGBTQ+ clinic after Dr. Owen in 1982, and it remains the largest, most comprehensive primary care center in San Diego for individuals living with HIV.
In 2019, Bill received the Community Physician Recognition Award from the Global HIV Program at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, affirming decades of selfless dedication.
Today, in retirement, Dr. Owen continues to stay at the forefront of medical knowledge, always learning, always sharing, and credits the 224th graduating class president and other classmates in keeping alive the spirit of the 224th class of Central High School.
Thank you to Stan Yantis (224) and Richard Keiser (224) for their contributions to this article
