Even before coming to BSC at just 16 years old, Dr. Michael Callahan ’67 was influenced by his father to pursue science and art.

Callahan’s first experience to his twin passions happened in his childhood living room, surrounded by his five siblings with the lights turned off and sheets covering the living room windows to block out the light.

“Our father was a physician and exposed us to the medical field by showing movies of his operations at home on weekends,” he says. “On Sunday afternoons, these movies were often followed by photographic slide lectures series he obtained from museums, like ‘Great Masterpieces of the Louvre.’”

Callahan’s passions then flourished on the Hilltop, where small classes and relationships with professors felt just like he was at home.

“Small is better than big, especially for a 16-year-old freshman entering college,” Callahan says. “At BSC, I was able to grow as an individual in many ways by participating in an inspiring community and having a deep and memorable relationship with professors who became my mentors.”

Now Callahan is a professor of ophthalmology at the University of Alabama and president of the International Retinal Research Foundation, and has provided care to patients in underprivileged areas in the U.S. and around the world. He still points to his BSC professors – notably Drs. Ken Ford, Paul Bailey, and Dan Holliman – and the way they interacted with others on a personal level as a major influence in his own life.

“Whatever success I have in this life, I owe to their confidence in me. In my role at a teaching hospital, as well as in the international missions I have participated in over my career, I try to teach and mentor in the same manner.”

To honor both the sacrifice of their parents and the influence of BSC on their education, Callahan and his siblings – now physicians, businessmen, lawyers, and actors – have established the Eivor and Alston Callahan Scholarship, which benefits a BSC pre-med or performing arts student. Although, to many, this may seem like an odd combination, Dr. Callahan recognizes the benefit of BSC’s liberal arts mindset in allowing students to explore seemingly contrasting interests in finding their calling.

“Personally, I developed a passion for ocular plastic surgery: a perfect melding of medicine and art,” he says. “This would not have happened without my exposure to the arts at BSC.”

Advice: “Because life is short, I think students should use all their energy and facilities at their command to develop and focus on a passion and purpose for the betterment of their life and community. There is no other way to achieve your goals than hard work, for, as they say, ‘Nothing comes to a sleeper but a dream.’”

This story was published in the Fall/Winter 2020 issue of ’Southern, BSC’s alumni magazine.

If you have ideas for our next issue of ’Southern, please email [email protected]. We always welcome stories about outstanding people from the BSC community.