PARNELL DONAHUE, M.D.
Dr. Parnell Donahue was born in Minnesota and earned his MD from Marquette University/ Medical College of Wisconsin. He completed his pediatric residency at Wisconsin Children’s Hospital in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he also served as Chief Resident.
He served as a captain in the United States Air Force Medical Corp as a general medical officer (physician).
He practiced pediatrics in Wisconsin and Georgia and served as a high school team physician for two decades.
The National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association in 1981, presented Dr. Donahue with the “Distinguished Service Award” “For enthusiastic leadership and support in the field of interscholastic athletics”.
In 2014 the Tennessee Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics named him “The Senior Pediatrician of the Year”, for his writing and working with teens and families.
His publications include, GERMS MAKE ME SICK, A Health Handbook for Kids, and SPORTS DOC – Medical Advice, Diet, Fitness Tips, and other Essential Hints for Young Athletes. Both were published by Alfred A. Knopf.
In 2010 he published MESSENGERS IN DENIM: The Amazing Things Parents Can Learn from Teens followed in 2013 with TOOLS FOR EFFECTIVE PARENTING. Of these, only the e-version of Messengers in Denim is still available.
These books are intended to help parents raise their kids to become, men and women of character. By so doing, he says, “We will be able to turn our children, our families, our country, and perhaps even our world, toward a path of love instead of hate, honesty instead of deceit, civility instead of violence, and peace instead of war.” Then he adds, “This can only be accomplished by parents with character.”
His wife Mary, and he, have raised four kids all of whom have Ph.D.s. Two are also M.D.s who work at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
Dr. Donahue is available for interview and can be reached at 615-807-1054, or cell 615-604-0963, or par.donahue@comcast.net.