Awe, Robert James (1938–2002)
By: Nihar Shetty
Published: May 20, 2025
Updated: May 20, 2025
Robert James Awe, physician, AIDS activist, and medical educator, was born on July 13, 1938, in El Paso, Texas, to Chester Dudley Awe, a physician, and Cleone Nell (Alsup) Awe, an emergency room nurse. Awe grew up in El Paso, where his father operated a private medical practice. After attending Stephen F. Austin High School in El Paso, Awe pursued his education at the University of Texas at Austin, where he was a member of Alpha Epsilon Delta, a premed fraternity. He then earned his medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine in 1964 and worked an internship in Atlanta, Georgia, at Grady Memorial Hospital. He furthered his studies at various institutions, including Emory University and the University of London.
Awe served as a captain in the U.S. Air Force from 1965 to 1967 and was stationed at Anderson Air Force Base in Guam. After his military service, he returned to Houston and Baylor and finished his residency in internal medicine in 1970 and completed a pulmonary fellowship in 1972. Awe became medical director of Jefferson Davis Hospital in the 1970s. In 1973 he joined the faculty at Baylor College of Medicine. As an associate professor at the college for more than thirty years, he specialized in pulmonary medicine. He was active in numerous professional organizations, including the American College of Chest Physicians, the American Lung Association of Texas, and the San Jacinto Lung Association.
During the emergence of the AIDS crisis in the 1980s, Awe became one of Houston’s pioneering physicians in treating AIDS patients. He served as medical director of Houston’s first AIDS clinic at Jefferson Davis Hospital. He was considered the medical expert in the Legislative Task Force on AIDS for the state of Texas. In 1986 he helped establish Omega House, a facility providing care for terminal AIDS patients regardless of their ability to pay, where he served as both a founding member and medical director from its inception.
Following the closure of Jefferson Davis Hospital in 1991, Awe continued his medical service at Ben Taub Hospital and later at Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital. In 1998 he was recognized by the Texas Department of Health for his “commitment and contribution toward the elimination of tuberculosis.” Awe received the First Annual Bradley-Scott Award from the Harris County Hospital District for his work with AIDS patients. In 2002 he received a pulmonary fellows’ teaching award. Beyond his medical practice, Awe was involved in the arts community and was active in Christ Church Cathedral. He shared his life with his companion of twenty-seven years, David Fincher.
After a lengthy illness, Robert J. Awe died of kidney failure on October 13, 2002, at the Methodist Hospital in Houston. He was survived by his companion, David Fincher; his brother and sister-in-law, Bill and Jan Awe; a niece, Vicki; and nephews, Bob, Chris, and Jimmy. Colleagues and patients lauded his legacy through the continued work of Omega House and his contributions to AIDS treatment in Houston.
Bibliography:
Houston Chronicle, October 16, 18, 2002. Houston Voice, September 20 1996. “In Memoriam: Dr. Robert J. Awe,” The Department of Medicine 5 (Fall 2002), Baylor College of Medicine.
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The following, adapted from the Chicago Manual of Style, 15th edition, is the preferred citation for this entry.
Nihar Shetty, “Awe, Robert James,” Handbook of Texas Online, accessed March 09, 2026, https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/awe-robert-james.
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- May 20, 2025
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