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Dan Duncan Leaves Solid Foundation for BCM's Research Futureby Denise Bray Hensley 
Dan L. Duncan One of Baylor College of Medicine's most generous friends and board of trustee member, Dan L. Duncan, died unexpectedly March 29. He was 77. The memorial for this humble country boy who became the city's wealthiest man was held in the expanse of the Second Baptist Church of Houston and attended by more than 3,000 people, among them BCM faculty members, the board of trustees, state officials and international dignitaries. "Dan was brilliant but humble, intense but gentle, passionate about business but equally devoted to his family and to me," said Jan Duncan who gave her husband's eulogy at the memorial service that was a true celebration of the philanthropist's hardworking life and bighearted generosity. The gift of $100 million from Dan Duncan, his wife Jan and their family on Feb. 1, 2006, helped propel BCM into the elite arena of National Cancer Institute (NCI)designated cancer centers. That same day, BCM submitted its first proposal for designated status to the NCI. By demonstrating tremendous community support for the Center, the Duncans' gift put the program on the path to NCI designation and opened doors for additional funding to combat cancer. Dr. Kent Osborne, director of the Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center at Baylor College of Medicine and head of the Lester and Sue Smith Breast Center, said the Duncan Cancer Center, as well as BCM, the Texas Medical Center and the world has lost a great humanitarian; however, his selfless contributions of time and financial resources will live on as examples to which we all should aspire. 
Dr. C. Kent Osborne, Director of the Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center at the entrance to the center. "Without the Duncan support, we would not have the stability of funding to do some of the work we do today, work that will live on for years after many of us are gone. Very few cancer centers have this level of philanthropic support and the ability to build programs and bring in new faculty as we do, and that is because of the Duncan family. We are tremendously fortunate to have had this man in our midst to foresee the need for the future," Osborne said. "Mr. Duncan's generosity funded programs that are dedicated to saving lives and enabling people to achieve their fullest potential," said Dr. William T. Butler, interim president and CEO of BCM. "We will miss his sage advice and his wisdom in the years ahead. His legacy extends not only to the philanthropy that he epitomized but also to the achievement in biomedical research he has made possible." Raised by a grandmother who told him to "do the best you can every day," he graduated from Shelbyville High School and worked in the pipeline and oilfield business before enlisting in the U.S. Army in 1953. After two years of military service, he studied finance and accounting at Massey Business College. In 1968, he helped found a small company called Enterprise Products, which he led to become a Fortune 100 company. In 1998, he bought out his partners and took his pipeline, processing and storage company public. Today, Enterprise Products Partners is valued at $30 billion. "Dan Duncan was a philanthropist in the truest sense of the word." Duncan said it was his own experience with prostate cancer that made him appreciate BCM physicians and their commitment to fighting the disease. "We have had the good fortune of being able to support the fight against cancer in a meaningful way, and we are proud to make an investment in what is sure to become one of the world's most respected and successful cancer research and treatment centers," said Duncan at the time. "Our belief in Baylor College of Medicine's ability to move the fight against cancer forward is underscored by the College's commitment to partnering with other great institutions here in the Texas Medical Center and elsewhere." 
Dan L. Duncan and wife Jan with daughters Milane (far left) and Randa Duncan, who joined the board in 2002, also gave BCM $35 million in 2004 to support Baylor Clinic and, in 2003, the family gave $2 million to establish the endowed Dan L. Duncan Family Chair in Prostate Disease. He also donated $500,000 to the Baylor International Pediatric AIDS Initiative. "Dan Duncan was a philanthropist in the truest sense of the word," said Lisa Kennedy, senior vice president of institutional advancement at BCM. "From his family's earliest donations to support prostate cancer research to the landmark gift that named the Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center at Baylor College of Medicine, Dan acted out of love for humanity and dedicated himself to the highest human values. He had a spiritual purpose in life and a heartfelt desire to advance health and wellbeing for all people. He measured his worth in lives touched." "Dan was very proud of us and what we are doing and we are certainly very proud and honored to have this relationship with him and his family. On a personal note, I really respected his wisdom, the way he treated people as equals, his spirit of giving back, and his big heart, and I will miss him," Osborne said. Through research and efforts to cure cancer and by providing care to the global healthcare community, BCM will continue to fulfill the Duncan family legacy. Osborne holds The Dudley and Tina Sharp Chair for Cancer Research. |
FeaturesThe Future of Health Care Starts at Med High Emergency Medicine: The Art of Juggling A Quarter Century of Invention at Baylor College of Medicine "Passport" Gives Childhood Cancer Survivors Entry into Adult Healthcare Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center Educates Through Entertainment Getting to the Roots of Cancer NewsDr. Paul Klotman: BCM's New Top Man Dan Duncan Leaves Solid Foundation for BCM's Research Future DeBakey Library & Museum Showcases Innovations of Pioneering Heart Surgeon SpotlightBIPAI Doctor Seeks to Serve in Africa Space Medicine Takes Medical Education Across New Frontiers Quest for a Gene Opens New Door in Personalized Medicine BriefsOut of This World Science Experiment Generates International Interest Predicting the Progression of Alzheimer's Disease Pool to Receive Academic Clinical Professionalism Award The Pea Aphid and the Wasp Genome Development/AlumniBelieve in BCM Campaign Engages Campus Development BriefsNational Osteoporosis Foundation Honors Lawrences DeBakey Heart Center of BCM Benefits from Partnership Event Pink Ribbon House Project Celebrates Success |
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Volume 6, Issue 1, Summer 2010 |
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| Last modified: August 11, 2010 |