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These Endowments support the research of selected scientists. By establishment of the chair, the donor's chosen name is directly associated with the research process and the Foundation. Norman’s Sarkeys Foundation has long focused on improving the
quality of life in Oklahoma, and for decades, they have supported
OMRF’s research, equipment needs and building construction. In 2000,
Sarkeys endowed the G.T. Blankenship Chair in Alzheimer’s and Aging
Research in honor of the Oklahoma City attorney, banker and
philanthropist for whom it is named. Blankenship and his wife, board
member Libby Blankenship, continue to serve their community and OMRF
in countless ways. As an OMRF research technician, Alvin Chang quietly helped advance the research
efforts in Dr. Fletcher Taylor’s lab. When Chang died in 2004, Taylor established the Alvin Chang
Chair in Cardiovascular Biology to honor his friend and colleague, whose 25
years of dedicated service helped OMRF scientists produce a life-saving drug for the treatment of severe sepsis. This chair represents
the first created by a member of OMRF’s scientific staff. For more than 20 years, OMRF and Eli Lilly scientists have worked together
researching blood and cardiovascular diseases. In 2001, Lilly’s drug Xigris,
which has its roots in discoveries made at OMRF, became the first and only
FDA-approved treatment for severe sepsis. Two years later, the
Indianapolis-based pharmaceutical company paid tribute to its long and
fruitful relationship with OMRF by endowing the Eli Lilly Distinguished Chair
in Biomedical Research. In the last year of his life, philanthropist Robert S. Kerr Jr. established the Lou C. Kerr
Endowed Chair in Biomedical
Research to honor his wife, who serves OMRF as a member of the board of directors and chair of its institutional
advancement committee. Endowed by the Kerr Foundation in 2003, this chair centers on investigating diseases and disorders
that afflict women. Research emphases include heart disease, the leading cause of death in U.S. women, and autoimmune
diseases such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, whose victims are overwhelmingly female.
For three decades, OMRF has enjoyed a one-of-a-kind philanthropic partnership with the Putnam City Schools. During that
time, proceeds from annual district-wide cancer drives have purchased lab equipment and established the Putnam
City Schools Distinguished Chair in Cancer Research—the first distinguished chair at OMRF (and the first
endowed chair anywhere funded entirely by students). Ardmore’s Merrick Foundation and the family it represents have generously supported OMRF for over half a century.
Ward S. Merrick Sr. served on OMRF’s board of directors from 1947 to 1965, and his daughter, Elizabeth Merrick Coe,
has been a board member for over three decades. To ensure the continued success of OMRF research in diseases of aging,
the Merricks endowed the Merrick Foundation Chair in Aging Research in 2000. Ardmore’s Lloyd Noble made his fortune as an oilman, but it was his philanthropy that made him a legend in Oklahoma.
His children, through the family’s Ardmore-based foundation, followed his example and have generously supported
numerous capital improvement and construction projects at OMRF. In recognition of his generous spirit and to further
research in cardiovascular disease, which claimed his life, the Noble family established the Lloyd Noble Chair
in Cardiovascular Research in 1982. Tulsa attorney Bill Bell lived a life of service, devoting himself to others with great heart and energy. As a long-time
OMRF board member and a trustee for the Chapman Trusts, which remain key revenue sources for OMRF today, Bell helped
ensure financial stability for OMRF. The William H. and Rita Bell Chair in Biomedical Research, which
the Chapman Trusts funded in 1988, honors Bell and his wife for their longstanding commitment to OMRF and the parts they
played in its successes. A dedicated member of the board of directors, Marjorie Nichlos of Chickasha made provisions for continuing research efforts
at OMRF through the Marjorie Nichlos Chair in Biomedical Research. After her death, Mrs. Nichlos’
gift created this chair, which provides unrestricted funds for research needs determined by the foundation’s
leadership. The Chapman family of Tulsa has provided ongoing support to OMRF through trusts and endowments started in the earliest
years of the foundation’s existence. H.A. and Mary K. Chapman were instrumental in helping OMRF grow and prosper,
and in 1985 The H.A. and Mary K. Chapman Chair in Medical Research was established in honor of the
late oilman and his wife. McAlester’s Puterbaugh Foundation established OMRF’s first endowed chair, the J.G. Puterbaugh Chair
in Medical Research, in 1982. Puterbaugh Foundation President J.G. Puterbaugh believed in the need for a research
presence in Oklahoma and spearheaded funding efforts at OMRF for many years. This initial chair has served as a cornerstone
for OMRF’s endowment.
Distinguished Research Scientists
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Oklahoma City civic leader Lou C.
Kerr created the Robert S. Kerr, Jr. Endowed Chair in Cancer Research in 2002, on behalf of the Kerr
Foundation and in the name of her husband, whose life would be claimed by cancer two years later. The chair focuses on
reducing the incidence of cancer and advancing treatment for those suffering from the disease.
As one of OMRF’s earliest
supporters, developer Ben Wileman gave countless hours of his time and invaluable counsel to foundation leaders. He served
as chairman of the board from 1976 to 1982 and provided leadership on numerous steering committees and fundraising efforts
through the years. Wileman and his wife earmarked their chair, the Ben C. and Addie Mae Wileman Chair, for support of arthritis research.
Alan C. “Ace” Greenberg
endowed the