Chair established in honor of UTMB president

UTMB Development Board creates endowed faculty position in Dr. John Stobo’s name

GALVESTON, Texas — Members of the University of Texas Medical Branch Development Board, a volunteer group that helps create fund-raising strategies for the university, have established an endowed chair in honor of the institution’s president, Dr. John D. Stobo.

Development Board members, who act as “ambassadors” for the university by assisting in outreach efforts to alumni, patients and other supporters, have so far contributed nearly $770,000 to the Stobo Chair. Endowed chairs are established with gifts totaling at least $500,000. The board’s goal is to increase the endowment to $1 million, which will raise it to the distinguished chair level.

Dr. B. Henry Estess, a 1964 UTMB School of Medicine graduate and former chair of the Development Board, said a chair in Stobo’s name was an ideal opportunity for the board to both support the university’s Timeless Values, Pioneering Solutions comprehensive campaign and honor a man so highly regarded among the organization’s members. “He’s honest and open, and he surrounds himself with really strong people and listens to them,” Estess said. “I think his ability to build teams and to have people working together toward a common goal, whether it’s the faculty or staff or volunteers in the community, makes him a great leader.”

The Timeless Values, Pioneering Solutions campaign inspired board members to create the endowment. This $250 million fund-raising initiative, launched on Sept. 1, 2003, strives to enhance UTMB’s areas of excellence in teaching the art and science of health care; infectious diseases, biodefense and vaccine development; health care access and telehealth; and longevity, chronic diseases and neurological recovery.

Dr. Peter K. Thompson, a 1964 UTMB School of Medicine graduate and Development Board vice chair, and Estess came up with the idea for the board to participate in the campaign and with the idea of establishing a chair in Stobo’s name. Many board members admire Stobo for his leadership style and his efforts during his nearly eight years as UTMB president to enhance the institution’s commitment to health care, education and research. Prior to becoming president, Stobo had been chairman and chief executive officer of Johns Hopkins Health Care, L.L.C., an organization created to address the challenges of managed care on behalf of Johns Hopkins Medicine.

Thompson said Stobo had impressed him shortly after he arrived on the Galveston campus. “He wanted to know more about the community and to let the community know more about him,” Thompson said. “He started these open sessions that were brand new. I don’t remember any president ever doing that other than in the midst of a controversy.”

Soon after making their suggestions, Estess and Thompson met with fellow Development Board members Alfred H. Ebert Jr. and Dr. Joseph T. Painter as well as Timeless Values, Pioneering Solutions Campaign Chair Fred C. Burns to discuss strategies for getting all 91 board members to contribute to the campaign. That meeting led to a plan to invite every member to support the campaign by contributing to the Stobo Chair, to scholarships and to other programs in which they had interest. The participants in the meeting worked to help develop written solicitations for the Development Board members as well as personally contact them. Thompson backed his idea of creating an endowment by making a major contribution toward it, and then significant matching commitments from Ebert, Estess and fellow board member Risher Randall soon followed. Thanks to their efforts and those of UTMB’s Office of University Advancement, the Development Board not only created the Stobo Chair but also made more than $13 million in commitments to other university initiatives.

Stobo thanked the Development Board for establishing the chair. “While this endowment may carry my name, I consider it a lasting symbol of the unwavering commitment the Development Board has demonstrated to the health of Texas and to a university that holds a special place in Texas medicine,” he said. “I’ll be forever grateful for the generosity this dedicated organization has bestowed upon me and UTMB.”