A donor has given $14.2 million to the University of Arizona College of Medicine to provide scholarships for students bound for medical school in Tucson.
Pat Gerleman, of San Francisco, made the gift in memory of her late husband, James Anthony Gerleman, and his brother, John Edward Gerleman, the UA announced Friday.
“Their generosity will have far-reaching impact in giving our students the financial freedom to pursue their dreams and in the lives of the people who will be cared for by our future physicians and health care professionals,” UA President Suresh Garimella said in a news release.
Graduates are shown at the University of Arizona College of Medicine's 50th commencement ceremony in 2021. A new $14.2 million gift to UA will help pay for scholarships for students headed to medical school in Tucson.
James Gerleman inherited $700,000 when his brother John, a UA alum who admired the work of the College of Medicine here, died, the release said. “Before his death, John told Jim to use the account to pay for the education of his nieces and nephews and donate the remainder to the College of Medicine – Tucson.
“Through tech stock investment and dividend reinvestment, (James) Gerleman grew the account to $14 million before his death in 2023. Now that those nieces and nephews have completed their educations, Pat is following through on her husband’s final wishes,” the release said.
Pat Gerleman was quoted as saying, “The gift is not a portion of a large estate. It is a sum of years of hard work and of lives without luxury Both Jim and John shared an ideal: to make a difference in the lives of their family and in the lives of future doctors, to help those who need it most.”
The bequest will fund scholarships for students in two programs: the Pre-Medical Admissions Pathway and the Honors Early Assurance Program.
