ECU RECEIVES BRODY GIFT,
RENAMES SCHOOL OF MEDICINE

    The Brody family of eastern North Carolina has given the East Carolina University School of Medicine $8 million to support research projects and medical initiatives related to the medical school's service to the region.

    The gift through The Medical Foundation of ECU was announced during a press conference today in the Brody Medical Sciences Building, which houses the school. It is the largest single gift in the history of the university.

    Also announced was the decision by the ECU Board of Trustees to name the medical school The Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University in honor of the Brody family. The trustees made the decision in a conference call Tuesday morning. It is the first school at ECU to be named for a family or individual.

    The $8 million gift consists of $7 million from the Brody Brothers Foundation and $1 million from Morris and Lorraine Brody of Greenville. Announcement of the gifts was made by Hyman J. Brody of Greenville and David S. Brody of Kinston, co-administrators of the Brody Brothers Foundation.

    The donations bring the cumulative total of Brody family contributions to more than $22 million since the earliest attempts in the 1960s to establish a medical school at ECU.

    "With the support of the Brody family in the past, the East Carolina University School of Medicine has become one of the premier young medical schools in the country," said Phil Dixon, chairman of the ECU Board of Trustees.

    "As forecast, the school has already dramatically improved the type and quality of health care in eastern North Carolina. Their recent and most generous gift will enable The Brody School of Medicine to continue to serve the health care needs of our citizens and will have a profound impact on each of our lives. We greatly appreciate the continued support of the Brody family," he said.

    ECU Chancellor Richard Eakin said, "We are honored to have the School of Medicine bear the name of the Brody family. It is a most fitting symbol of the long-standing relationship between the school and the Brodys.

    "The family has made significant past contributions to the school, which were previously recognized through the naming of this building. Today's gifts are a further demonstration of the Brodys' strong and continuing commitment to East Carolina University, the School of Medicine, and all of eastern North Carolina."

    Hyman J. Brody said his family is honored by the decision of the Board of Trustees to recognize his family's years of support with the renaming the school.

    "When ECU needed support, Leo, Sammy and the rest of our family have always tried to step up to the plate," Brody said. "We feel that our family and the medical school share the same vision in reaching out and helping the people of eastern North Carolina."

    He added that over the past 20 years, the medical school has brought significant social and economic benefits to the region. "The Brody family felt it was time to help the medical school take the next step by funding these areas of research, which opens up a new realm of possibilities in treating many chronic diseases and hopefully may lead to a cure."

    David S. Brody added, "Our family foundation has many opportunities to give to various causes. However, we believe the mission of the School of Medicine matches what we wanted to accomplish; that being to improve the health status of the people of eastern North Carolina.

    "We are hopeful this gift will inspire others to join us in helping the medical school develop their resources for research into the key health problems of our region," he said.

    The funds will be placed in a permanent endowment, meaning the principal will be invested and the interest will be used for funding projects.

    The Brody Brothers Foundation gift of $7 million will fund research projects at the medical school for cancer, diabetes and obesity, cardiovascular disease and other prevalent health problems in eastern North Carolina. Also, the endowment will enhance the medical school*s initiatives in new technology, telemedicine, research and education.

    The $1 million gift by Morris and Lorraine Brody has been designated to fund merit scholarships at the School of Medicine. The donation, which will help fund the existing J.S. *Sammy* Brody Medical Scholars Program, is the first lead gift in The Campaign for East Carolina Scholars by the university.

    The Medical Foundation of ECU will receive the donation and manage the permanent endowment. A five-member stewardship committee appointed by the Brody Brothers Foundation and the Medical Foundation of ECU will oversee the disbursement of the funds.

    Dr. James A. Hallock, vice chancellor for health sciences and dean of the medical school, said he is pleased that the donation will allow the medical school to continue research in areas important to eastern North Carolina and will support scholarships for deserving students.

    "The support of the Brody family historically has been one of the factors that has allowed the ECU School of Medicine to achieve its missions in eastern North Carolina and to emerge as one of the preeminent medical schools," Hallock said. "Their new gift reflects this continued confidence in the school*s ability to meet our mission of serving the health care needs of eastern North Carolina and will allow us to move forward in areas such as heart disease and cancer research.

    "The Brodys' earlier gifts have allowed the school to have programs which were not included in our state funding, such as the Brody Scholars Program, which has produced many outstanding young physicians," he said.

    The Brody Scholars Program, since its establishment in 1983, has assisted a total of 79 medical students. This program provides recipients financial assistance while completing their medical degrees at ECU. The scholarship program was created to recruit medical students with outstanding academic records, who have plans to practice medicine in eastern North Carolina after completing their residency training.

    Terry R. Carter, vice president and executive director of The Medical Foundation of ECU, Inc., which serves the ECU Division of Health Sciences, said, "Private gifts, made by individuals, companies and foundations, are critically important resources to help East Carolina University remain at the forefront of today's rapidly changing trends in health care and extremely competitive higher education market.

   "The Brodys' generous leadership gift will create a new permanent endowment fund benefiting the School of Medicine, thereby greatly enhancing its mission and vision, now and well into the new millennium. Private gifts make all the difference in enabling us to achieve excellence, and we are most grateful for the Brodys' ongoing confidence in us to be good stewards of their extraordinary support."