additional medical facilities. When Congress finally appropriated funds for it in 1905, it was described as "primarily as a result" of his work. The hospital eventually became the Walter Reed Army Medical Center. In the years immediately after 1905, Borden was "-probably the best informed medical officer on the subject of hospital construction." As he watched the center's construction, Borden hoped to become commanding officer. However, Borden was overdue for a transfer from his position in Washingtonat the time, the Army had assigned him to a different detail every four yearsand other army officers feared that his familiarity with Congress made him a strong contender to become Surgeon General. In April 1907, a year before Walter Reed opened, Borden was transferred to run a hospital in the Philippines. In 1995, The Washington Post wrote that he would have been the center's "ideal first commander". Described as "disheartened", Borden retired after having a coronary attack at the rank of lieutenant colonel in 1909. In May 1909 Borden was named dean of the School of Medicine and surgeon in chief of the hospital at George Washington University. He was awarded an honorary doctor of science degree from that institution in 1931, the same year that he retired. During World War I, Borden returned to the army, where he worked as the chief of surgical service at Walter Reed Army Medical Center from 1917 to 1919. Borden was also a member of the American College of Surgeons, which he helped found, and several other organisations. Borden was considered "one of the better known military surgeons of his time". He died on August 18, 1934, at his home in Chaumont, New York. Legacy In 1992, the Center of Excellence in Military Medical Research and Education was renamed the Borden Institute in his honor. In 1995, a building at Walter Reed was named after him. References Bibliography External links 1858 births 1934 deaths People from Watertown, New York Physicians from New York (state) Military personnel from New York (state) George Washington University faculty George Washington University deans Walter Reed Army Medical Center