University of Texas at Tyler President Dr. Kirk Calhoun speaks about the Promise Plus scholarship program and the impact of reducing student debt.

The University of Texas at Tyler on Monday announced the second $4 million gift to its School of Medicine. The anonymous gift will support the School of Medicine scholarships and faculty research.

“We are tremendously appreciative of this gift to our new School of Medicine,” said UT Tyler President Kirk A. Calhoun. “We continue to be amazed by the support of those who generously desire to help us address the healthcare needs of East Texas and beyond.”

This support comes as a warm welcome to the School of Medicine’s founding dean, Dr. Brigham Willis, who began his tenure in February.

“I am extremely pleased at the warm reception that my family and I have received since arriving in Tyler,” Willis said. “What is even more impressive is the overwhelming philanthropic support that we have received since the medical school was announced.”

The anonymous gift comes on the heels of the R.W. Fair Foundation’s $4 million contribution to support the first cohort of medical students.

UT Tyler and R.W. Fair Foundation officials in November revealed the $4 million donation would provide four-year scholarships for all 40 students in the incoming class. That $4 million will help address some of the worst measurable health outcomes in rural East Texas, enhance local and regional education and invest in the strongest regional economic driver in a generation, R.W. Fair Foundation President Bob Garrett said in November.

UT Tyler Senior Vice President for Advancement Dr. Archie Tucker called the current philanthropic momentum “exciting.”

“Texans are beginning to realize the impact that the School of Medicine will have in the state, both from a health and economic perspective, and it’s exciting,” Tucker said. “Thus, we are seeing positive trends in our efforts to raise philanthropic dollars thanks to individuals like our anonymous donor.”

Others who are interested in making a gift to UT Tyler, or the School of Medicine specifically, may contact UT Tyler University Advancement at 903-566-7110 or visit uttyler.edu/give.

In February 2020, the East Texas Medical Center Foundation gave $80 million to help in the establishment of a medical school in Tyler. In the same month, the UT System Board of Regents approved a proposal for the school.

In May of last year, the Texas Legislature approved authorizing the Health Science Center at UT Tyler to put resources toward getting accreditation for a doctor of medicine program.

The Texas Legislature made the medical school possible and the UT System provided a strong start, but the funding of this institution is largely a community responsibility, Garrett said in November.

UT Tyler offers more than 80 undergraduate and graduate programs to 10,000 students. UT Tyler recently merged with The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler, now known as UT Tyler Health Science Center. Through its alignment with UT Tyler Health Science Center and UT Health East Texas, UT Tyler has unified these entities to serve Texas with quality education, cutting-edge research and excellent patient care.

Classified by Carnegie as a doctoral research institution and by U.S. News & World Report as a national university, UT Tyler has campuses in Tyler, Longview, Palestine and Houston.

Those who want to make a gift to UT Tyler, or the School of Medicine specifically, may contact UT Tyler University Advancement at 903-566-7110 or visit uttyler.edu/give.