Elgene George Mainous

Elgene George "Elg" Mainous passed away Thursday, July 31, 2025, at age 94. Elg was the Professor Emeritus and former Chairman of the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas (UTMB). Elg was instrumental in building and sustaining the UTMB Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. His contributions to the Department of Surgery and the School of Medicine continue to resonate at UTMB. While serving as the Chief of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery he worked with President James to establish an academic chair for the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Service. Elg was also active in publishing, with numerous manuscripts accepted for major national and international journals. Elg was honored with the position of Professor Emeritus following his retirement in 2021. Elg spent 47 years in academia teaching oral and maxillofacial surgery and served as the Chairman of the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at each of the University of Texas San Antonio, the University of Mississippi Medical Center, the University of Minnesota and UTMB.
Dr. Mainous was born February 28, 1931, in Hamilton, Ohio, to the late Hubert and Fannie Mainous (nee Flannery). Elg graduated from Hamilton High School (HHS), Class of 1949, and was active in sports, serving as the trainer and manager for both the HHS football and basketball teams that each won the State Championship in 1949. He was inducted as a member of the Hamilton City Schools Athletic Hall of Fame. He later served as the student-trainer under college football Hall of Fame coaches Woody Hayes and Bo Schembechler.
After graduating from Miami University in Ohio, Elg received his Doctor of Dental Science degree from Ohio State University Dental School in 1956. He completed postgraduate school at the National Naval Medical Center in 1962 and his oral surgery residency at the Portsmouth Naval Medical Center in 1967. He joined the Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at UTMB in 1989 as Division Chief and Head of Hospital Dental Services.
Elg served in the United States Navy for 23 years retiring as a Captain and Head of the Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the Long Beach Naval Hospital in 1975. He served in Vietnam in 1968-1969 and was decorated for his treatment of high velocity missile wounds of the maxillofacial area receiving the Navy Commendation Medal for Meritorious Service. Following his retirement from the Navy he documented his Vietnam experience with the immediate care of high velocity battlefield injuries, which was included in one of seven chapters of a book addressing battlefield wound care. The book was sponsored by the Bureau of Medicine Surgery and distributed to all NATO countries where it is still used today as a handbook for treating missile wounds.
Elg married Nancy Ann Gould in 1956, and they were married 57 years prior to her passing in 2013. He is survived by: children Molly (Mark) Perkins of Atlanta, GA, Mark (Renee) Mainous of Shreveport, LA, and Lori (Douglas) Beresford of Washington, DC; grandchildren Alexander (Rebeckah) Beresford of Charlotte, NC, Erik (Grace) Beresford of New York, NY, Ross Mainous of Shreveport, LA, and George Mainous of Shreveport, LA; and great-grandchild Aiden Beresford of Charlotte, NC.
Elg will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors.
In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Galveston Humane Society.