The name change of Southwestern Medical Foundation‘s Heritage Society to The Wildenthal Society was just celebrated with a luncheon hosted by the Foundation to honor one of the Society’s earliest members and longtime philanthropist Dr. Kern Wildenthal.
The name change is fitting since the Society’s purpose is to “recognize those who make planned gifts to benefit UT Southwestern Medical Center,” where Kern was accepted at Southwestern Medical School in 1960 at the age of 18 and graduated four years later.
His presence within the Dallas medical community has included working at Parkland, serving as president of Southwestern Medical Foundation for four years and Children’s Medical Center Foundation for three years and 32 years as a dean and then president of UT Southwestern Medical Center.
It was during his tenure as president at UT Southwestern that its endowment rose to more than $1.3B, the campus quadrupled in size and the faculty included four Nobel laureates.
According to Foundation President/CEO Michael McMahan, “Dr. Wildenthal has been an integral part of the growth and evolution of medicine in Dallas and the continued prestige that has become synonymous with UT Southwestern and Southwestern Medical Foundation. This is a very exciting way for us to recognize his work over the past several decades and to acknowledge the differences he will continue to make in our communities for years to come.”
Since The Society’s establishment in 1995, one-third of the more than $200M in Foundation planned gifts have come from The Society.
This latest accolade adds to the tributes by healthcare and arts groups over the years — i.e., Excellence in Community Service Award, TACA Silver Cup Award, Spirit of Generations, Texas Business Hall of Fame, etc. — for the man who was born in San Marcos on July 1, 1941, and rose to international prominence in the field of healthcare management and education.
Despite the smite by a local media group trying to trump up allegations against Kern in 2012, he not only rose above the fray but continued to command the respect of his peers and to remain a valuable resource for area leaders and organizations.
Following an investigation by the UT Board of Regents, a final report found no evidence of any misappropriation of funds.
In being notified of the honor, Kern said, “The encouragement of planned gifts has been a top priority for Southwestern Medical Foundation and UT Southwestern for many decades. When my mentor and predecessor, Dr. [Charles] Sprague, retired from the Medical Center and became president of the Foundation, we agreed that the long-term future of both organizations would be crucially dependent on planned giving and that those who provided far-sighted support through their wills, trusts, and endowments should be honored through membership in a ‘Heritage Society.’ To have my name now linked to this society in perpetuity is an extraordinary and heart-warming honor, and I am deeply grateful.”