UM President Donna E. Shalala (left) with Susan Miller just after the announcement of the $100 million gift and the renaming of the School of Medicine.
Posted on 12/15/2004 7:18:21 AM PST by Polybius
The University of Miami School of Medicine launched a bold new era today with the announcement of a historic $100 million gift from the family of the late Leonard Miller, a longtime South Florida businessman and philanthropist. In recognition of the biggest gift ever to the University of Miami, the School of Medicine will be renamed the Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine.
UM President Donna E. Shalala (left) with Susan Miller just after the announcement of the $100 million gift and the renaming of the School of Medicine.
(Excerpt) Read more at med.miami.edu ...
Now we have the Leonard Miller School of Medicine.
I received a long distance phone call yesterday at my medical practice from one of my relatives in Miami. “Have you heard about the Miller School of Medicine yet?”, she asked.
“No. I’ve never heard of it. Where is it? Is it one of those diploma mills on some Caribbean island?”
“No. It’s right here in Miami.”
“Somebody’s selling novelty medical school diplomas out of a Kinko’s shop on Miller Road?”
“No. The Miller School of Medicine is now the name of your medical school alma mater.”
“Huh?????”
Well, it seems that Donna Shalala was brought in to be President of the University of Miami for her potential money raising abilities and Bill Clinton’s former Secretary of Health and Human Services has indeed been bringing in money towards a $1 billion goal. One way or the other.
When the family of a late real estate developer (mostly known in South Florida for being sued for shoddy construction that literally blew away during Hurricane Andrew) donated $100 million to the University of Miami School of Medicine, Donna Shalala said “Thank You” by dumping the name of a Medical School with over half a century of history and tradition.
The former “University of Miami School of Medicine” is now the “Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine”.
From what I hear from my relative in Miami, other University of Miami School of Medicine alumni besides myself are up in arms over the matter. Even worse is how the current medical students must feel knowing they will have to spend many years after graduation explaining that the “Miller School of Medicine” is actually a real medical school.
Out with the old.
In with the new.
I guess it could have been worse. If Wayne Huizenga had died and left enough money, it could have been the Blockbuster Video School of Medicine.
I don't have a problem with this. Schools need money, and what better way than to have a PRIVATE SECTOR donation?
FYI
What's wrong with that, it happens all the time. $100 million donation. That's a big one. It deserves the name. Why does this bother you?
Kudos to Shalala and the UM.
Nothing wrong with this. It's better than needing money when this offer had been batted away on 4th down at the end of the game when you are losing 16-10. Take the offer and run with it.
Fine. If you give that amount of money, then you can have your name slapped on to a NEW school at the Universisity.
This throws aways the name whose reputation was built up by over half a century of University of Miami School of Medicine alumni.
"You can't go home." "Nothing stays the same." Words to live by. :-)
Lennar really built some terrible houses. A coworker lucked out when Andrew destroyed his house. He'd been looking for a way to get out of it, and its sloping floors. He took the insurance money and left town.
The Canes are still Gator Bait!!!!
As I noted in Post 7, it throws away the name whose reputation was built up by half a century of alumni.
They are not changing the name of the medical school building.
They are changing the name of the medical school.
It would be like changing the name of Georgia Tech to Coca Cola University.
I'll choose to look on the bright side: people's lives will be saved, hopefully, because someone GAVE of their wealth to educate and train doctors. All they wanted in return was their name associated with their generosity.
Private.
U of M is a private university.
Ron Artest Institute for Peace
However, the point is that those changes were made before the history and the reputation of the University was established.
This has changed a name with over half a century of history and tradition and replaced it with the name of a shoddy developer nobody outside of South Florida has ever heard of.
If you went to see a new doctor that had a diploma from the "Henry Jones School of Medicine" hanging in his waiting room wall, would you stick around or go find another doctor?
Nonsense. The Miller family is not hawking a product....they've just made a massive contribution to a very good medical school. The Miller Schold of Medicine at The University Of Miami has a nice ring to it.
BYW, what's the difference between this and the Rosenstiel School of Marine Biology which is also at the U of M? It's one of the most respected facilities in the country and there's never been a question of what educational institution it's associated with.
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