In memoriam: King Holmes
Dr. King Holmes, the founding Chair of the Department of Global Health (DGH) and a long-standing leader in the Division of Allergy & Infectious Diseases in the Department of Medicine, died on Sunday, March 9, 2025. He passed peacefully with the loving support of his family and close friends.
King was a man of tremendous vision, intellect, warmth, and caring, who mentored and inspired generations of people around the world to transform sexual and reproductive health through research, clinical practice, and interdisciplinary training.
He is universally acknowledged as the “father” of the field of academic sexually transmitted infection (STI) research, epidemiology, prevention, and care. His leadership in this arena brought improved care and destigmatization for both patients and researchers in the US and abroad.
At UW, he was one of the early architects and thought leaders of our internationally recognized Division of Allergy & Infectious Diseases where, in 1989, with the concurrence of the deans of the six Health Sciences Schools, he established the Center for AIDS & STD (CFAS) to serve as an umbrella for all AIDS and STD-related clinical, research, and training programs at UW and affiliated institutions.
His vision for the UW’s expansion into international health led to the rapid development of groundbreaking and high impact programs in HIV and other STIs domestically and globally.
King was a superb clinician and served as Chief of Medicine at Harborview Medical Center from 1984 to 1989. At Harborview, he was instrumental in expanding on-site research with the construction of the Harborview Research & Training and the Ninth & Jefferson Buildings, housing the Seattle King County Sexual Health Clinic, the Center for AIDS & STD, the International Clinical Research Center, and laboratory research on a variety of sexually transmitted infections, including HIV.
During his long and productive career, King received many honors and awards, including the Canada Gairdner Foundation Global Health Award, the Alexander Fleming Award for Lifetime Achievement from the Infectious Diseases Society of America, and election to the National Academy of Medicine and the American Academy of Microbiology.
In the past two decades, King turned his attention to establishing a vast network of collaborations globally, which positioned UW to become an early leader in global health.
He worked closely with colleagues at key bilateral and multilateral agencies and other global health organizations, including WHO, CDC, NIH, HRSA, USAID, PEPFAR and the Gates Foundation, repeatedly being asked to advise on new directions or play a leading role in new initiatives.
He galvanized leaders across US universities in the formation of the Consortium of Universities for Global Health. In 2007, as the inaugural Chair, King launched UW’s new Department of Global Health, based in both the School of Medicine and the School of Public Health.
He worked closely with colleagues across the university to create a highly interdisciplinary department that not only bridged the Schools of Medicine and Public Health but also harnessed the strengths of all 18 of UW’s Schools and Colleges and welcomed outstanding affiliate faculty from around the globe.
To facilitate innovation, he built DGH as a dynamic group of cutting-edge Centers, Programs and Initiatives (CPIs) designed to work together with low-middle income country partners both on research and teaching, and on capacity strengthening and program and policy development.
King was directly involved with the development and leadership of two of the centers, the UW/Fred Hutch Center for AIDS Research (CFAR), which works with more than 700 investigators around the world in support of HIV research and researchers’ career development, and the International Training and Education Center for Health (I-TECH), a global network working in more than 25 countries, to build long-term capacity in health systems strengthening; human resources for health; and targeted, data-driven interventions and research that are responsive to local needs.
King’s “special powers” included his boundless curiosity, deep-seated belief in science, lifelong commitment to mentees and colleagues, and irrepressible sense of humor. He consistently created an extraordinary sense of family among those who worked with him.
He was absolutely dedicated to training future generations of STI and HIV researchers and created an internationally renowned training program that has been funded by NIH since 1974 and has supported over 250 predoctoral and postdoctoral trainees, 80% of whom hold faculty or senior research positions in academia, public health or government.
King was exceptionally generous and was always the first to “advertise” his trainees’ work at national and international conferences and in other influential fora. His gracious, kind, thoughtful support, combined with his humor – from lessons in hanging spoons on noses to his ability to clear out restaurant dining rooms with STI-related jokes -- were key to the success of many around the globe, particularly during difficult times.
In his passing, King joins siblings Barry Holmes and Robin March, and his eldest daughter, Kimberly Valerine Holmes. He is survived by his loving wife, Dr. Virginia Gonzales, daughter Heather and son-in-law Keith Jellerson, granddaughter Sage, son King Jr and his wife Helen Holmes, grandchildren Reilly and Connor Holmes, and King’s brothers Robert and Eugene Holmes, as well as thousands of coworkers, fellows, and mentees around the globe.
If you would like to learn more about King’s many contributions, HotSpot: How Seattle Became The Place for Infectious Diseases Research by Mary Engle provides a great summary.
A special tribute to King was published in the 50th Anniversary edition of the journal Sexually Transmitted Diseases (Sex Transm Dis. 2024, 51(9):601-602. doi:10.1097/OLQ.0000000000002013).
Information about a celebration of King’s life will be shared as soon as it is available. If you would like to honor King, donations can be made to the King K. Holmes Endowed Professorship in STD and AIDS.
Written by Drs. Judith Wasserheit and Sheila Lukehart.