A Gift of Sight, Breath
A Phoenix couple has left an endowment to fund two research chairs at the UA.
A $2.5 million gift from a pair of retired Phoenix high school teachers will be used to fund two research chairs at The University of Arizona College of Medicine.
The late couple’s estate gift established The Murray and Clara Walker Memorial Endowed Research Chair in Emphysema and The Murray and Clara Walker Memorial Endowed Research Chair in Ophthalmology. Both permanent funds will be invested to produce annual payouts that fund ophthalmology and emphysema research at the UA.
“Endowments in support of faculty research are the ultimate gift to academic medical centers. We are deeply grateful to the Walkers for their amazing gift to two stellar research units," said Dr. Keith A. Joiner, vice provost for medical affairs and dean of the College of Medicine. "This very significant support for vision and respiratory research will make a meaningful difference for people with breathing difficulty and low vision.”
The Walkers lived in central Phoenix. Clara Walker was born in Willcox, Ariz., and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in education from the UA. She taught history, government and economics at West Phoenix High School until her retirement in 1969. Murray Walker, a World War II veteran, taught biology at Carl Hayden High School. He died at age 86 after a 10-year battle with emphysema, a respiratory illness that decreases the elasticity of lung tissue and makes breathing difficult.
The Walkers’ saving and investing habits allowed them to grow an estate totaling $6 million, which also funded gifts to Arizona State University and the Arizona Historical Society. The endowments designated for the UA College of Medicine are managed by the UA Foundation.
et cetera
- Extra Info |
The UA department of ophthalmology and vision science provides clinical services for a range of ophthalmic disorders.
The Arizona Respiratory Center was designated the first Center of Excellence at the UA College of Medicine in 1971. Recognized internationally as one of the top institutions for respiratory care, the ARC combines the highest caliber of research, clinical care and teaching in areas including emphysema, chronic bronchitis and asthma.
- Contact Info
John Brown
UA Foundation
520-621-5581
