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The George Foundation Gives $100,000 to IMM
Albert and Mamie George’s legacy of giving to the UT Health Science Center continues
For more than a decade, The George Foundation has made a lasting impression on The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston through its tradition of giving. Thanks to its most recent pledge - $100,000 to the Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine for the Prevention of Human Diseases (IMM) - the tradition continues.
Albert and Mamie George at their ranch in Fort Bend County. Photo courtesy of The George Foundation
Created in 1945 by Albert and Mamie George, The George Foundation carries on the deceased couple's philanthropic work in the community, mainly in Fort Bend County. With a great concern for the people of the county, the Georges extended their charitable arm to the UT Health Science Center. The foundation's pledge to the IMM is true to the foundation's mission to help people improve their quality of life and that of future generations.
UT Health Science Center Development Board member Richard J. Trabulsi Jr., a former member of The George Foundation Board, brought the IMM to the attention of the foundation. The foundation board approved funding the IMM with strong support from another health science center board member, Mike Wells, who currently serves on the foundation board.
"The Georges personified giving at its best, and we are immensely grateful that their generous spirit lives on through the foundation's continuous support of the university," UT Health Science Center President James T. Willerson, M.D., said. "Thanks to the efforts of Mr. Trabulsi, Mr. Wells and the foundation, we are one step closer to conquering the diseases of our time."
The foundation pledged $50,000 during the first phase of the IMM campaign chaired by Rodney Margolis in 1994. Since that time, six research centers and four core laboratories have been established, along with several gene and protein discoveries. Now in its second phase, the campaign has broadened basic research efforts to cover a wide range of conditions like heart disease, stroke, diabetes and Alzheimer's disease.
"The George Foundation is pleased to play a part in funding a state-of-the-art research facility that will provide great community benefits for years to come," said George Foundation Board Chairman William A. Little. "We are especially proud to have been one of the first supporters of this facility, and support Dr. Willerson's vision to improve the human condition."
Over the years, The George Foundation has contributed to the UT School of Nursing at Houston for scholarship support and innovative research, including the new School of Nursing and Student Community Center and the Center for Nursing Research. Since 1990, the foundation has committed nearly $1 million to the nursing school in scholarships for deserving Fort Bend County residents.
The deaths of the two people closest to the Georges were the major factors in the establishment of The George Foundation. Their only child, Davis George, died in 1899 of cholera at the age of 22 months, and their niece, Mary Jones, was killed in a car accident, leaving them without immediate heirs.
Mamie George was active in her church and community, and often provided vegetables from her garden to people in need.
Known for his cattle, ranching and banking association, Albert George developed inherited ranchland and established the George Ranch in Richmond. Their ranch home was restored by The George Foundation and is now part of the George Ranch Historical Park, serving as a memorial to a couple who provided opportunities to many people during their lifetimes.
The foundation's gift helps put the New Frontiers Campaign, chaired by Beth Robertson and co-chaired by Ben Love, at the $190 million mark toward its $200 million goal to build and equip a new home for the IMM and to recruit and support world-class researchers, who will uncover the molecular secrets behind common human diseases.
The IMM's new six-story, 200,000-square-foot facility, named the Fayez S. Sarofim Research Building, is slated for completion late this year.
By Jacqueline Preston, Development