Dr. Frank Cyrus McCue III, the much loved and respected "Doc", took care of University of Virginia athletes for more than 40 years.

Dr. McCue was a renowned orthopedic surgeon who specialized in reconstruction of the hand. He was also one of the founding members of an organization of physicians and athletic trainers devoted to sports medicine. Dr. McCue taught scores of young surgeons. As a friend, he was loyal and steadfast. As a supporter of the University of Virginia athletic programs, he was incredibly passionate.

A native of Maxwelton, West Virginia, he came to Charlottesville in 1948. He graduated from University of Virginia Medical School in 1955, interned at the University of Kansas, did his surgical residency at the University of Virginia Hospital, then went to California to study hand surgery when it was still a new field of study and research. In 1961, he returned to UVa Hospital as a board-certified orthopedist and began his career taking care of Cavalier athletes.

In his medical practice, Dr. McCue also treated a wide range of folks, from professional athletes to Supreme Court judges, to foreign dignitaries and famous actors. Dr. McCue's first love was football. He often spent his summer vacation attending pre-season practices. He also treated injured athletes from William and Mary, VMI, and the University of Richmond before those schools had their own sports physicians. Doc also treated hundreds of high school athletes from towns all over Virginia and surrounding states.

“He was such a great guy and so caring and such a great surgeon,” said Geroge Welsh, who retired after the 2000 season and later was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
“He touched a lot of people in this state. It wasn’t just UVa. I think that’s the thing that should be remembered about Frank. He took care of high school athletes, and for a while there some of the other universities, and he was very generous.”

In 1991, University of Virginia's athletic department named the new administration building for Dr. McCue. The McCue Society, made up of former colleagues, fellows, trainers, students and friends, was formed in 1987 and funds sports medicine scholarships for University of Virginia undergraduates and graduate students. The Virginia High School Coaches Association gives an annual sports medicine award in Dr. McCue's honor.

Dr. McCue retired in 2003 and was named professor emeritus of orthopedic surgery. He remained close to the University of Virginia athletic scene, and was a frequent visitor to football practice.

Said former Head Men’s Basketball Coach and Athletics Director Terry Holland: “He will be remembered most by the tens of thousands whose lives he touched professionally and personally. Doc and Nancy took hundreds of patients into their home immediately after surgery to ensure a quicker recovery. He stitched up a number of my players and family members, including me, after hours at his home. ‘Just bring them over to the house,’ he would say, and excuse himself from a dinner party or whatever. While there are many wonderful doctors who have followed in his footsteps, there will never be anyone as unique as Dr. McCue was in his time on this earth.”