On October 13, 2026, Southwestern Medical Foundation presented Deedie Rose with The Sprague Award, our highest community distinction. Family and friends of Mrs. Rose joined distinguished guests to honor her at Brook Hollow Golf Club. The Award was established in 1991 to honor those who have given their time, leadership, and resources to advance health care in North Texas.
For decades, Mrs. Rose has shaped North Texas through her support of the arts, public spaces, and mental health. She is a founding board member and board chair of Trinity Park Conservancy, a trustee, past chair, and past president of the Dallas Museum of Art, and a founding board member of the AT&T Performing Arts Center, and a Lifetime Director of Hoblitzelle Foundation. Her philanthropy in mental health includes a significant gift to UT Southwestern for research on depression, bipolar disorder, and other mood disorders, and she co-chairs the President’s Council at the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute.
“Deedie Rose approaches civic leadership with uncommon thoughtfulness.”
Michael McMahan
President, Southwestern Medical Foundation
Guests had the chance to connect with a number of community and health leaders from across North Texas and reflect on the role philanthropy plays in moving medicine forward. One theme throughout the night was the planting of seeds. Mrs. Rose is guided by the philosophy of planting trees, of which the shade you will never enjoy – a metaphor that encapsulates what it means to give back to society and leave the world a better place than you found it. To symbolize that, all guests left with a Shumard Red Oak seedling that was donated by Texas Trees Foundation to plant their own trees for future generations.
Leading the Conversation on Health: Brain Science
The evening continued with a Leading the Conversation on Health panel, “The Signals Within: New Frontiers in Brain Science.” The discussion brought together four UT Southwestern researchers and leaders from The Peter O’Donnell Jr. Brain Institute who are on the forefront of brain science: William T. Dauer, M.D., Director of the O’Donnell Brain Institute (moderator), Marc Diamond, M.D., Founding Director of the Center for Alzheimer’s and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Tarek Rajji, M.D., Chair of Psychiatry, and Ceci Verbaarschot, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Neurological Surgery and Biomedical Engineering.
The panelists spoke about earlier, more accurate diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, the connection between depression and dementia risk, and brain-computer interfaces that aim to help people living with paralysis regain independence or even just the sense of connection to their loved-ones. They also described new brain stimulation approaches for mental illness and promising early research on ALS. Dr. Diamond noted that philanthropic support allowed his team to take the early risks that made this ALS work possible.
Browse the Photo Gallery:
The Sprague Award & Leading the Conversation on Health
Relive the evening in the gallery below, and join us in congratulating Deedie Rose on this well-deserved honor. Learn more about Mrs. Rose’s recognition in our press release.
