Ruth and Bill Scott continue their incredible support of UNMC

A major gift from Omaha philanthropists Ruth and Bill Scott will make possible the construction of a new College of Public Health building and a large addition to the College of Nursing building in Omaha. The gift, which will be considered by the University of Nebraska Board of Regents, would be the Scotts’ seventh major donation to UNMC in the past five years.

The UNMC beat goes on — thanks in large measure to the leadership of Omahans Ruth and Bill Scott.

The Scotts, who have made five previous major donations to UNMC, are at it again. This time, they are making a gift that will provide the foundation for UNMC to add two new buildings — a College of Public Health and an addition to the College of Nursing — while also completing the establishment of UNMC’s academic campus.

The College of Public Health building will be south of Dewey Avenue on the east side of 40th Street in what is presently a UNMC parking lot. The College of Nursing addition will be constructed to the east of the existing College of Nursing building at 42nd Street and Dewey Avenue.

Just last month, the Scotts provided funding for construction of a four-season student plaza, including an ice rink and architectural/artistic feature as the centerpiece for the UNMC academic campus.

The Great Scotts Listed below is a rundown of all the UNMC projects for which Ruth and Bill Scott have made major contributions: 2008 — Lead gift on College of Public Health. 2008 — Lead gift on addition to College of Nursing in Omaha. 2008 — Lead gift on a four-season student plaza that includes a mechanically frozen ice rink and architectural/artistic feature. 2007 — Established the Nebraska Arthritis Outcomes Research Center located on the third floor of Poynter Hall. The center conducts a variety of studies committed to discovering new pathways for increasing effective therapies for arthritis sufferers. 2006 — Lead gift on the Michael F. Sorrell Center for Health Science Education, the new home for the UNMC College of Medicine. 2006 — Made a gift to honor two respected friends — legendary UNMC internist, Fred Paustian, M.D., and his wife, Mary Ann “Maisie.” The gift named the two primary amphitheaters in the Sorrell Center after the Paustians. In addition, the gift established the Frederick F. Paustian, M.D., Gastroenterology Research Laboratories in the second research tower currently under construction at UNMC. The second research tower is expected to be completed in January 2009. 2003 — The Scotts’ contribution to the Durham Research Center established the Ruth and Bill Scott Neuroscience Research Laboratories located on the third floor and inspired the development of Orthopaedic Surgery’s Biomechanics Laboratory at the Scott Technology Center on the Pacific Street campus of the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Bill Scott is a former vice president of Berkshire Hathaway. Ruth Scott is a bridge instructor and founder of the Omaha Bridge Studio.

“It’s difficult to find the right words to express our profound appreciation to the Scotts,” said UNMC Chancellor Harold M. Maurer, M.D. “We are humbled by their generosity. It is truly a gift that will transform the UNMC campus and continue our momentum as we confidently pursue our goal of becoming a world-class academic health science center.”

Dr. Maurer said the latest gift puts the finishing touches on a five-year project directed at pulling all UNMC’s academic programs together in one common area bounded by 40th Street on the east, Emile Street on the south, 42nd Street on the west, and Dewey Avenue on the north. Prior to this, UNMC’s academic programs were scattered around campus.

The first piece of the academic campus puzzle was the construction of the Michael F. Sorrell Center for Health Science Education on the northeast corner of 42nd and Emile streets. The Sorrell Center, which will be home to the UNMC College of Medicine, is scheduled to be completed this summer and will be open for classes this fall.

The Scotts made the lead gift on the Sorrell Center, and, instead of putting their name on the building, opted to name it in honor of their longtime friend — Dr. Mike Sorrell, a distinguished UNMC physician and honored graduate of the College of Medicine.

“The student plaza will be surrounded by the four colleges on the UNMC Omaha campus — medicine, nursing, pharmacy and public health as well as the School of Allied Health Professions,” Dr. Maurer said. “For the first time ever, UNMC will have the look and feel of a traditional college campus. It is going to be spectacular, and much of the thanks must go to Ruth and Bill Scott.”

John Niemann, Ed.D., senior vice president of the University of Nebraska Foundation, praised the Scotts for their philanthropy.

“Ruth and Bill are special people,” he said. “They don’t seek recognition but both are genuinely motivated to improve the health and well-being of all Nebraskans. They much prefer being in the background. They make gifts with warm hearts and no strings attached. Their only goal is to do what is best for Nebraskans and UNMC.”

Click here to see a full-sized rendering of this campus map that shows where the new College of Public Health building and College of Nursing addition will be built.

Construction of the student plaza will begin this spring. It will be completed in phases over the next two years. When completed, it will serve as a central outdoor area for student and campus activities during warmer months and will convert into a mechanically frozen ice rink during the winter months.

The architectural/artistic feature, which will be similar in concept to the Henningson Memorial Campanile at the University of Nebraska at Omaha and other sculptural features at the university’s other campuses, will be on the east end of the student plaza. Preliminary plans call for the feature to have a health care theme. Its anticipated completion date is the summer of 2010.

Click here to see more about the new College of Public Health building and here to see more about the College of Nursing addition.