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Margaret M. Alkekby Erin Blair
In March, the Baylor family was saddened to learn of the loss of one of the College's great patrons. Margaret McFarland Alkek, as chair of the board of the Albert and Margaret Alkek Foundation, personally oversaw the strategic investment of almost $50 million into research programs and facilities at Baylor College of Medicine. The Margaret M. and Albert B. Alkek Building, the Alkek Tower, the Alkek Fountain, the Alkek Eye Center, the Margaret M. and Albert B. Alkek Department of Medicine, and the Margaret M. Alkek Distinguished Chair in Medicine all honor Mrs. Alkek's philanthropic vision. "Margaret Alkek was a special friend to Baylor College of Medicine. Her genuine concern for the future of the College was evidenced by the support she so selflessly provided," said Dr. Peter G. Traber, BCM President and CEO. "She will be missed by all who knew her." Alkek was introduced to BCM in 1973 when her husband, oilman Albert B. Alkek, forged a lifelong friendship with Dr. Michael E. DeBakey. "When you try to measure, or describe, the impact the Alkek family has had on the Texas Medical Center, it's practically unimaginable," said DeBakey, BCM Chancellor Emeritus. "People, not just in Houston but nationally and worldwide, are benefiting from heart pumps, techniques, and technologies that were developed here, in facilities provided largely by Albert Alkek and, subsequently, the Albert and Margaret Alkek Foundation." Praising Mrs. Alkek's "tireless efforts to improve the human condition," DeBakey said, "She will live long in our memories and our hearts as a shining symbol of compassion for the ailing and hope for the future." Alkek was a native Houstonian who graduated from San Jacinto High School in 1933. She attended The University of Texas at Austin, where she was a Bluebonnet Belle. To court her, Albert Alkek flew his plane up from Victoria and swooped low over the Littlefield Dormitory, to the delight of her friends. Throughout the couple's 61-year marriage, they worked side by side to build a successful business and shared their time and resources with the community. At Alkek's death in 1995, Margaret became chair of the newly formed Albert and Margaret Alkek Foundation. Their daughter, Margaret Alkek Williams, grandson and BCM Trustee, Charles A. Williams, and his wife, Randa Duncan Williams, also serve on the Foundation's board. In her quiet and unassuming way, Alkek had a tremendous impact on the College. "It's thrilling to wake up and be able to do something and be productive by helping in as many ways as you possibly can," she said as she announced the Albert and Margaret Alkek Foundation's record-breaking $31.25 million gift to BCM in 1997. That gift and subsequent generosity has benefited a wide variety of programs across the campus. "Without the long-standing generosity of the Alkek family and Foundation, we would not be in a position to become one of the outstanding internal medicine departments in this country," said Dr. Stephen B. Greenberg, the Margaret M. Alkek Distinguished Chair in Medicine. "Albert and Margaret Alkek have made significant contributions which have been used by our faculty to ensure the success of their research efforts." Dr. Dan B. Jones, who heads the Alkek Eye Center and the Department of Ophthalmology, concurred. "Our partnership with the Alkek family has catapulted us to levels of excellence made possible only by their inspiration, devotion, and support." BCM Chancellor Dr. Bobby R. Alford, Chair of the Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Communicative Sciences, remarked on Mrs. Alkek's genuine enthusiasm for the initiatives the Foundation funded. "Often the Alkeks were the first to support a project, and that, in turn, was an inspiration for others to join them and do the same," Alford said. "Their legendary generosity gave others the confidence to step forward to ensure that the visions and projects they supported would succeed." Alkek also directed the Foundation's funding toward the Maxine Mesinger Multiple Sclerosis Clinic, the Breast Center, the Department of Orthopedic Surgery, the Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, the Baylor Cancer Center, and the Human Genome Sequencing Center. A recent contribution provided critical early support for the Baylor Clinic. "Today, more than ever, medicine is poised - and the community is ready - for accelerated growth in new pathways to diagnosis and treatment, for an even more dynamic era of research and discovery, and for enhanced opportunities for educating the health professionals of the future," said Traber. "All of us at Baylor remain deeply indebted to Margaret Alkek and the Alkek Foundation for their unwavering support and commitment to our mission." |
Patient CareWhen Executives Become 'Ill-Suited' ResearchEducationThe Responsibilities of Residents Coat Pockets Full of Knowledge Community ServiceAlumni & DevelopmentCollege News
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Volume 1, Issue 2, Summer 2005 |
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