Southwestern Medical Foundation honored a family whose philanthropic endeavors span three generations with The Sprague Award. This year’s honorees include Barbara B. Moroney, Bonnie B. Smith, James E. Bass, and their mother’s family foundation, The Rita Crocker Clements Foundation. Their inspiring effort to drive medical progress in North Texas is something to behold, especially when it comes to supporting research for neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and dementia.
Barbara, Bonnie, and James are the children of famed adventurer Richard Bass and community leader Rita Crocker Clements. Their legacy of giving was instilled in them by their mother during their childhood and has continued throughout their adult lives. Together, the Bass siblings – along with The Rita Crocker Clements Foundation have contributed an incredible amount of their time and resources toward the advancement of medical research. Our community is forever indebted to their commitment to making North Texas a healthier, happier place to call home. Among their many gifts, the Bass and Clements families contributed toward the Campaign for the Brain in support of The Peter O’Donnell Jr. Brain Institute at UT Southwestern Medical Center.
Meet The Sprague Award 2023 Honorees
Leading the Conversation on Health
Following The Sprague Award presentation, guests enjoyed a Leading the Conversation on Health program featuring a discussion about biomedical engineering and how it will change medicine and treatment in the future. The program was moderated by Dr. Marc Nivet and featured renowned UT Southwestern researchers Dr. Kareem Azab, Associate Professor, Biomedical Engineering; Dr. Elizabeth Moody Davenport, Assistant Professor, Radiology | Advanced Imaging Research Center; and Dr. James de Lemos, Professor, Internal Medicine | Chief, Division of Cardiology, Sweetheart Ball – Kern Wildenthal, M.D., Ph.D., Distinguished Chair in Cardiology.
