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Harry and Rose Cullen Give $250,000
to New Frontiers Campaign
Donation will help further stem cell research – the future of medicine
The Cullen family's largesse in Houston and throughout the state is legendary. Rose and Harry Holmes Cullen's generosity toward Houston institutions is no exception.
Rose and Harry Cullen
Harry Cullen, Roy Gustav Cullen's younger son and wildcatter Hugh Roy Cullen's grandson, said that junior family members absorbed the values of giving rather than being formally taught about philanthropy. "All of us learned to give by watching our grandparents (Hugh Roy and Lilly) and observing their tireless dedication to helping others. They led by example."
The couple said that the moment they heard James T. Willerson, M.D., president of The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, talk about the New Frontiers Campaign, "We knew we wanted to donate to it." Recently, the couple gave the health science center $250,000 to be used in whatever area in which it will help the most to further stem cell research.
Willerson explained that the health science center's Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine for the Prevention of Human Diseases (IMM) will establish a center dedicated to fundamental biologic research into how stem cells develop and differentiate. Unique in their ability to continually divide, stem cells have the potential of turning into virtually any cell type and tissue in the body. These versatile cells may prove useful in treating cancer, heart disease, spinal cord injuries, stroke and neurodegenerative diseases.
"We are extremely grateful to Harry and Rose Cullen for their generous gift to the university," Willerson said. "Their support is very important for helping the IMM to accomplish its research mission to prevent and treat common human diseases."
The Cullens said they gave for two reasons. "One, Dr. Willerson is our physician - he ministers to almost all Cullen family members - and we love and admire both him and his wife, Nancy," said Harry Cullen, director of the Cullen Trust for Health Care, founder of Harry H. Cullen Oil Company and a director (along with other members of the Cullen family) of Quintana Petroleum Corporation until its dissolution in 2003.
"The second - and related - reason we made our donation is that Dr. Willerson and his team conduct world-class stem cell research. We believe that area of inquiry and discovery is the future of medicine - and Dr. Willerson is leading the way," he said.
Rose Cullen, a trustee for numerous organizations throughout the nation and a past University of Texas Medical Branch Development Board member, agreed. "Dr. Willerson is like the old-fashioned doctors - he has a good 'bedside' manner and he is available to his patients. It is such a joy to be able to give and to see the results during your own lifetime.
"The kind of research that is being done at the health science center and throughout the medical center and the kind of leadership that Dr. Willerson provides are what has made Houston the most important medical center in the world," she said. "We find it quite exciting to be a part of that."
The Cullens also have given to Friends of Nursing at St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital and PARTNERS, the community support group for The University of Texas School of Nursing at Houston. They are members of the Texas Heart Institute's Cooley Circle.
The New Frontiers Campaign has raised nearly $190 million toward the $200 million goal. Chaired by Beth Robertson and co-chaired by Ben Love, the campaign will help build a new home for the IMM and recruit and support world-class researchers.
By Gay Elliott McFarland