DALLAS – June 12, 2009 – In a visionary act intended to have a transformative impact, former Texas Gov. William P. Clements Jr. has made an unexpected and unprecedented $100 million gift for UT Southwestern Medical Center. This marks the largest single donation in the institution's history and was given through the Southwestern Medical Foundation, which supports the research, education and clinical mission of UT Southwestern.

"To those who may have questioned the prospects for philanthropy in a time of economic uncertainty, Bill Clements has answered in a profound and extraordinarily selfless way," said Dr. Daniel K. Podolsky, president of UT Southwestern. "This historic gift, especially noteworthy in his insistence that there be no restrictions on its use, allows us to create the William P. Clements Jr. Fund with our pledge to apply it strategically in truly transformative ways to advance and improve the human condition."

Mr. Clements said, "In supporting UT Southwestern, my single goal is to help encourage and advance scientific discovery and innovation, prepare the next generation of physicians for Texas and the nation, and ensure the delivery of world-class medical care, which I believe uniquely happens at this academic medical center, already recognized as one of the top institutions in this country."

He said he hoped the university would find ways to leverage his gift to attract even more contributions to UT Southwestern.

In 2006 Mr. Clements donated $10 million to complete a clinical and medical research facility now named the Bill and Rita Clements Advanced Medical Imaging Building, in honor of Mr. Clements and his wife. In 1998 Mr. Clements donated $1.25 million to UT Southwestern to create the Rita C. and William P. Clements Jr. Scholar in Medical Research to recognize newly appointed and promising faculty members.

Dr. Podolsky cited the landmark $100 million donation and Mr. Clements' previous gifts as testament to his confidence in the collaborative research, teaching and patient care mission of UT Southwestern, as well as Mr. Clements' long relationship with his personal physician, Dr. Albert D. Roberts, who formerly held the Walter Family Distinguished Chair in Internal Medicine at UT Southwestern, established in his honor in 2004.

"I have great admiration for the medical school and the fabulous progress it has made during the past several years," said Mr. Clements, who served on the search committee that convinced the first president of UT Southwestern, the late Dr. Charles C. Sprague, to come to Dallas in 1967 from Tulane University School of Medicine to be dean of the medical school. Mr. Clements and Dr. Sprague had been chemistry classmates at Southern Methodist University.