There is a long tradition of philanthropic support for academic institutions through endowed chairs. At certain points in our history the Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation has also supported endowed chairs.
Endowed chairs enable academic institutions to make long-term investments in outstanding people. It provides institutions with a mechanism for honoring and recognizing faculty members for their excellence in academic medicine broadly, including teaching, research, and clinical care. The endowment also provides funding that allows that position to continue in perpetuity, and frees up money that can be directed to other department activities.
Holding an endowed professorship is an honor. It’s a statement about the individual and their work. And that recognition elevates their stature.
For the philanthropic organization, endowed chairs are a lasting legacy. It reminds us that the academic enterprise exerts its influence over a long period of time. The continuous process of investing in scholarship and teaching allows us to play this long term role in ensuring continued progress in the field and ensuring a succession of people are given this honor and carry on the tradition of the pursuit of excellence.
Naming someone to an endowed chair is among the happiest occasions in academic institutions. It brings together the long standing mission of the institution, the opportunity to celebrate its most outstanding people, looks to future accomplishments in the field, and recognizes the philanthropy that supports that mission and those people.
As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of Macy’s OBGYN chairs, we reflect back on the importance of such awards, speaking with the five individuals who currently hold Macy endowed chairs:
- Robert Barbieri, MD, Harvard University – Kate Macy Ladd Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology (1993)
- Mary D’Alton, MD, Columbia University – Willard C. Rappleye Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology (2003)
- Larry Gruppen, PhD, University of Michigan – Josiah Macy Jr. Professor of Medical Education (2003)
- Joseph C. Kolars, MD, University of Michigan – Josiah Macy Jr. Professor of Health Professions Education (2013)
- Alan Mark Weinstein, MD, Weill Cornell Medical College – Thomas H. Meikle, Jr. Professor of Medical Education (2009)
In interviews—which will be published on this blog over the next several weeks—these five leaders provide insight into how endowed chair positions benefit individuals and institutions, and how they have each used their awards to advance much needed reforms in health care and health professions education.