(June 19, 2008) – The University of Minnesota Medical School–Duluth Campus has received its first endowed chair through a gift from the estate of a California resident who was an alumna of the University of Minnesota.
Medical School Dean Deborah Powell, M.D., designated $1.5 million of the new Max E. and Mary LaDue Pickworth Endowment for the research chair in Duluth. “One reason this gift is so remarkable is that Mary Pickworth did not prescribe how to use her money,” Powell said. “She simply recognized the need and allowed us to choose how to invest—a rare opportunity for our Medical School.”
Mustafa al’Absi, Ph.D., a professor of behavioral medicine and founding director of the Duluth Medical Research Institute, will be the first chair holder in Duluth. Another portion of the endowment will support a chair for a faculty member in neuroscience in the Twin Cities.
Al'Absi is internationally known for his research on the connections between stress, pain and addiction. He has been on the leading edge of research to identify biological and psychological factors that are responsible for the harmful effects of stress.
“We are honored to receive our first endowed chair,” said Senior Associate Dean Gary Davis, Ph.D. “Endowed chairs and professorships strengthen our ability to attract and retain outstanding researchers and educators, and they are a crucial source of stable funding for sought-after faculty.”
Born in Minnesota and raised in South Dakota, Mary LaDue Pickworth was a resident of San Jose, California, when she died in October 2007. She and her husband, Max, were graduates of the University of Minnesota. Max graduated from the University of Minnesota Medical School in 1930, became a director of medical surgery for the U.S. Air Force during World War II and then opened one of the first private surgical practices in San Jose, Calif. He died of a massive heart attack at age 49.
Mary LaDue Pickworth’s personal assistant, Beverly Bourbon, said Mary was passionate about supporting the Medical School. “She just wanted to put her money to the best use at the Medical School and leave a legacy that reflected the life of giving and caring that she and Max had shared.
For more information about giving to the University of Minnesota Medical School—Duluth Campus, call Michelle Juntunen at 218.726.6876 or send her an e-mail at maj@mmf.umn.edu.
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