Mr. Perot Jr. recently served on the Steering Committee for UT Southwestern’s Campaign for the Brain, which was devoted to raising funds to advance brain research and clinical care through the Peter O’Donnell Jr. Brain Institute. The campaign met its five-year, $1 billion goal to support research, technology enhancements, faculty recruitment and support, as well as crucial facilities and program investments, making it one of the largest brain-focused contributions at a U.S. academic medical center in the country. Mrs. Perot Jr. previously chaired the Sweetheart Ball, which benefits cardiovascular research at UT Southwestern. Additionally, through The Sarah and Ross Perot Jr. Foundation, the couple has supported key initiatives, including UT Southwestern’s Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP), as well as making significant investments in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's research.

Barbara B. Moroney, along with her siblings Bonnie Bass Smith, and James E. Bass, has supported Southwestern Medical Foundation and UT Southwestern Medical Center for many years. Along with gifts from their family foundations, Mrs. Smith, Mrs. Moroney, and Mr. Bass have made personal gifts to create the Rita Clements Center for Clinical Research in Alzheimer’s and Neurodegenerative Diseases and the Rita Clements Chair in Brain Research to support depression/bipolar and Alzheimer’s translational research. Together, the siblings oversee the Rita Crocker Clements Foundation.

Bonnie B. Smith, along with her siblings Barbara B. Moroney, and James E. Bass, has supported Southwestern Medical Foundation and UT Southwestern Medical Center for many years. Along with gifts from their family foundations, Mrs. Smith, Mrs. Moroney, and Mr. Bass have made personal gifts to create the Rita Clements Center for Clinical Research in Alzheimer’s and Neurodegenerative Diseases and the Rita Clements Chair in Brain Research to support depression/bipolar and Alzheimer’s translational research. Together, the siblings oversee the Rita Crocker Clements Foundation.

James E. Bass, along with his siblings Barbara B. Moroney, and Bonnie B. Smith, has supported Southwestern Medical Foundation and UT Southwestern Medical Center for many years. Along with gifts from their family foundations, Mrs. Smith, Mrs. Moroney, and Mr. Bass have made personal gifts to create the Rita Clements Center for Clinical Research in Alzheimer’s and Neurodegenerative Diseases and the Rita Clements Chair in Brain Research to support depression/bipolar and Alzheimer’s translational research. Together, the siblings oversee the Rita Crocker Clements Foundation.

Maureen and Robert Decherd are shaping the future of Dallas with purpose and passion. In 1993, the couple established The Decherd Foundation, which partners with various charitable organizations to further education, health care, and community development. This generous family has provided unwavering support for Southwestern Medical Foundation through various funds, campaigns, and chairs to sustain innovation in brain discovery and best-in-class medical research at UT Southwestern.

Effecting positive and transformative change in the world brings great joy to Nancy and Jeremy Halbreich. They love Dallas and its people, and their causes are many and range from health care and medical research, to culture and arts, education, and helping the disadvantaged. The Halbreichs have been longtime friends of Southwestern Medical Foundation in their mission to inspire and advance progress in medicine.

The Thompson family has created a legacy of giving in Dallas that continues to promote community growth and prosperity through generations of support. The family has supported various causes through its longtime support of Southwestern Medical Foundation, including the Heart and Lung Center at St. Paul University Hospital, William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital with the Peggy and Jere W. Thompson and Family Cardiovascular Patient Care Unit named in their honor, and Zale Lipshy Hospital.

Dallas has been exceptionally blessed by a long list of benefactors, but it can be argued that in its history, no civic or business leader, or philanthropist ever gave of themselves with greater wisdom and more lasting benefit than did Karl St. John Hoblitzelle. The Hoblitzelle Foundation continues his legacy and has been a remarkable instrument of support for the work of Southwestern Medical Foundation, UT Southwestern, and our community at large.

Southwestern Medical Foundation honored Linda W. Hart and Milledge A. Hart III for their outstanding contributions to healthcare and the community. Their unwavering commitment and leadership have significantly advanced medical research, education, and patient care. As dedicated philanthropists, the Harts have profoundly impacted the lives of countless individuals, making them deserving recipients of this prestigious award. Their legacy continues to inspire others to support transformative healthcare initiatives.

Terry and Robert B. Rowling have been dedicated to community service for years. Through their generous contributions and leadership, they have supported progress in medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center. Mr. Rowling has served as a member of the Southwestern Medical Foundation board of trustees and served a five-year term as Chairman of the Board. Together with his wife, Terry, the Rowlings have made tremendous contributions in time and treasure to both organizations and to the broader community.

Fueled by imagination and an infectious enthusiasm for the wonder of invention, Dr. Rolf Haberecht and his wife, Ute, have spent much of their lives looking for ways to teach and inspire others. With an unsurpassed passion for all things technological, the couple has infused the Dallas community with their creativity and commitment to educating the next generation of scientists. Longtime champions of medical research, the Haberechts gave several million toward the construction of UT Southwestern Medical Center’s William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital.

A business entrepreneur, environmentalist, volunteer and innovative philanthropist, Lyda Hill is, quintessentially, an adventure-seeker. One of the most enterprising businesswomen in the country, she also is one of the most philanthropic, having pledged to give away her entire fortune – most of it during her lifetime.

The influence of Mary McDermott Cook and her family has permeated virtually every aspect of UT Southwestern Medical Center – from its welcoming landscape and artwork to the highest and most exacting levels of research and education. Many of the medical center’s most inspired projects were made possible through the McDermotts’ staunch dedication to the UT Southwestern community. Long after Ms. Cook’s family made its first gift to UT Southwestern, the daughter of industrialist Eugene McDermott and his wife, Margaret, has continued her family’s legacy of giving, and, in her own right, is playing a much-admired role in Dallas philanthropy and civic leadership.

Under the guidance of Vester T. Hughes and Robert W. Korba, Sammons Enterprises and the Sammons Dallas Foundation became major philanthropic forces in the community, supporting numerous charitable causes and substantially enhancing some of the city’s most vital programs through the decades. In December 2009, Sammons Dallas Foundation, with the support of Sammons Enterprises, distributed a staggering $100 million to worthy Dallas charities.

Under the guidance of Vester T. Hughes and Robert W. Korba, Sammons Enterprises and the Sammons Dallas Foundation became major philanthropic forces in the community, supporting numerous charitable causes and substantially enhancing some of the city’s most vital programs through the decades. In December 2009, Sammons Dallas Foundation, with the support of Sammons Enterprises, distributed a staggering $100 million to worthy Dallas charities.