SAN ANTONIO (Sept. 12, 2014) — At the 2014 President’s Gala on Saturday, Sept. 13, William L. Henrich, M.D., MACP, president of The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, will recognize the extraordinary commitment by Tom C. and Pat Frost to the university and to the health of the community.
Proceeds from this year’s gala will establish the Tom C. and Patricia H. Frost Endowment to Advance Cancer Research and Education, which will be dedicated to supporting the Health Science Center’s commitment to make lives better through excellence in research, education, clinical care and community service.
“At our seventh annual President’s Gala – hailed as an Evening of Promise – we celebrate those who have supported our pursuit of excellence in health care. We pay tribute to a remarkable couple who have helped to make this possible,” Dr. Henrich said. “Thanks to Tom and Pat, our future holds the promise of continued, relentless focus on our missions of compassionate care, education, research and service.”
The Frost family is known throughout the region for its unfettered support of the economic growth of San Antonio, he said. “Tom and Pat have been the driving force behind some of the city’s largest projects, including the university’s thriving and renowned Cancer Therapy & Research Center. Tom played an instrumental role in the creation of the CTRC and was named its first honorary trustee.”
Tom Frost, chairman emeritus of Frost Bank, is the fourth generation of his family to oversee the bank founded by his great grandfather, Col. T.C. Frost, in 1868. The Frost name is synonymous with leadership and excellence in San Antonio, and Tom and Pat Frost continue to build on the Frost legacy of philanthropy that spans generations. The Frosts have four sons, Tom, Patrick, Bill and Don, and 14 grandchildren.
Also celebrated at this year’s President’s Gala will be the 40th anniversary of the CTRC, which is a part of the Health Science Center and its UT Medicine San Antonio, the clinical practice of its School of Medicine. The CTRC has evolved into one of the nation’s premier cancer centers since opening its doors in 1974 as a nonprofit corporation dedicated to providing the community with outpatient radiation therapy.
In the last 40 years, the CTRC has attained the prestigious Cancer Center designation by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and is devoted to conquering cancer through research, prevention and treatment. The CTRC serves more than 4.4 million people in Central and South Texas. The CTRC’s Institute for Drug Development pushes the frontier of cancer research to develop novel cancer treatments through partnerships with the NCI and with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.
“We are proud to announce that this year the CTRC has surpassed its $10 million goal for philanthropic support from individuals, corporations and private foundations,” Dr. Henrich said. “This generous support by members of our community will allow us to continue to provide compassionate treatment for all of our patients while our research team seeks to improve treatment and understand cancer with the goal of preventing it.”
Endowment funds announced at previous galas include: The Greehey Family Foundation Endowment for Community Service and The Greehey Family Foundation Fund for Community Service and Patient Needs, both 2013; The Charles Butt and H-E-B Excellence Fund for the Future of Health, 2011; The John T. and Debbie Montford Fund for Cancer Research, 2010; The Briscoe Family Legacy Fund in Women’s Health, 2008; and The Jocelyn and Joe Straus Endowed Chair in Trauma Research, 2007.
The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, one of the country’s leading health sciences universities, ranks in the top 3 percent of all institutions worldwide receiving National Institutes of Health funding. The university’s schools of medicine, nursing, dentistry, health professions and graduate biomedical sciences have produced more than 29,000 graduates. The $765 million operating budget supports eight campuses in San Antonio, Laredo, Harlingen and Edinburg. For more information on the many ways “We make lives better®,” visit www.uthscsa.edu.