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Special Section
Elliott Society - Planting a Seed for Future Growth
Frederick C. Elliott, D.D.S., first dean of The University of Texas Dental Branch at Houston, exemplified the importance of investing in the future of others. Today, 19 years after his death, that spirit still lives within the walls of the school and has sparked the creation of a new planned giving society.
Frederick C. Elliott, D.D.S.
The Frederick C. Elliott Society, named for this visionary leader who served as dean from 1932 to 1952, was launched at the top of the Centennial year and is off to a promising start. The charter members already have demonstrated one of Elliott's most prominent characteristics - a willingness to give.
In his 20 years as dean of the Dental Branch, Elliott worked to improve its role in education, research and community service. After leading efforts to construct a new dental school, he left his post as dean to become president of the Texas Medical Center, an institution he helped found and develop.
The Frederick C. Elliott Society allows individuals to provide for the future of the Dental Branch through giving instruments such as wills or bequests.
Suann Lloyd, director of development at the Dental Branch, emphasizes the significant financial benefits that donors can enjoy when making a planned gift to the school. These bene- fits can be designed to meet the needs of the donor with the help of a financial planner. Those who consider making a planned gift to the school are offered complimentary planned giving counsel with a financial professional.
Society charter member John Powers, Ph.D., said he couldn't pass up an opportunity to invest in the future of faculty, staff and students who feel like family.
The Frederick C. Elliott Society offers us the opportunity to leave
a portion of our estate to the Dental Branch with the knowledge
that the funds will be managed well and utilized to further the important
goals of the school," said John Powers, Ph.D.
"When I arrived and began working here in 1988, the dean made an investment in equipment and people to help my department prosper," said Powers, director of advanced education. "I hope my contribution to the Frederick C. Elliott Society will help provide the faculty, staff and students with that same opportunity to achieve their dreams."
In addition, Powers said the society is simply an excellent way for those who have been given so much, to give a little back. "My wife, Susan, and I have been fortunate to have good careers with many rewards. The Frederick C. Elliott Society offers us the opportunity to leave a portion of our estate to the Dent a l Branch with the knowledge that the funds will be managed well and utilized to further the important goals of the school."
Membership benefits in the society include public recognition, with the donor's permission, and an invitation to a signature event where they will be honored for their support. "However, the most significant benefit of the society is knowing that a thoughtful and planned decision will enhance the oral health of others," Lloyd said.
"The Frederick C. Elliott Society exemplifies one generation paving the way for the next," she said. "Members of the society value the rich tradition of the school and the role it has played in their own lives. And because of that, they want to ensure the future of the dental profession and the greater good that dentistry provides to communities.
"There is a quote attributed to noted philosopher David Trueblood that says, 'It takes a noble man to plant a seed for a tree that will some day give shade to people he may never meet.' There is a parallel between those words and the acts of generosity by members of the Frederick C. Elliott Society."
To become a part of this investment opportunity at the Dental Branch, contact Suann.Lloyd@uth.tmc.edu or call (713) 500-4106.