Family of G. Howard Bryan makes $1 million gift to Mayo Clinic for Alzheimer's disease research

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — From founding prominent businesses to providing leadership and philanthropy to major civic and public service efforts, the family of G. Howard Bryan has been contributing to the quality of life in Northeast Florida for nearly a century.

Now, with medicine entering an exciting new century, the Bryan family is continuing its inspiring tradition of generosity, with a $1 million gift to support Alzheimer's disease research at Mayo Clinic's campus in Jacksonville, Fla.

"The Bryan family's generosity is essential for Mayo Clinic to help medicine achieve its potential in the 21st century," says George B. Bartley, M.D., chief executive officer of Mayo Clinic's campus in Florida. "We are grateful for their support and look forward to the progress it will inspire."

The G. Howard Bryan Fund for Alzheimer's Disease Research at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville will help support studies that aim to improve the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of Alzheimer's disease. More than five million people in the United States are living with Alzheimer's disease, according to the Alzheimer's Association, which estimates that the disease's cost to Medicare, Medicaid and businesses is nearly $150 billion a year.

The disease also struck Mr. Bryan, who was a longtime Mayo Clinic patient before he passed away in 2003. The gift, which family members directed through Mr. Bryan's charitable trust, was the result of witnessing the disease's devastating impact, as well as Mr. Bryan's appreciation for his medical care at Mayo Clinic.

"Mayo Clinic provided him with exceptional care," said Carter B. Bryan, Mr. Bryan's nephew. "This gift gave us a wonderful way to honor our uncle and his relationship with Mayo Clinic, as well as provide important funding to help future generations overcome Alzheimer's."

The Bryan family's generosity is also a leadership commitment to The Campaign for Mayo Clinic. The first comprehensive fund-raising effort in the history of Mayo Clinic, the Campaign was launched in 2005 and is a five-year, $1.25 billion effort to secure funding for Mayo Clinic's vision to transform medicine in the 21st century.

The Bryan family's history in Jacksonville includes the founding of Independent Life & Accident Insurance Co. in 1920, where Mr. Bryan worked for 63 years and served as vice president and director. Before it was acquired by American General Corp. in 1996, Independent Life made multiple gifts to Mayo Clinic, including gifts for the founding of the Jacksonville campus. Mr. Bryan also volunteered for several civic groups, including the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra, the Kiwanis Club, the Kirby Smith Camp of the Sons of Confederate Veterans and the South Carolina Historical Society.

Mr. Bryan's nephews, Jacob F. Bryan IV, Carter B. Bryan and Kendall G. Bryan, have continued this tradition of generosity and public service, providing their leadership and support to The Community Foundation in Jacksonville, the American Cancer Society, the symphony and many other organizations.

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