Joyce Rice gave a $1.25 million Endowed Chair to the College of Nursing in honor of her late husband, Robert, a longtime philanthropist to the U and advocate of health. An Endowed Chair is a donation that remains untouched at its given amount, but whatever interest is earned on that amount over the years is used and distributed by a designated chair holder.
The College of Nursing is still looking for a chair holder who will be responsible for using the donation’s interest to enhance the college’s research in the field of aging, said Maureen Keefe, dean of the College of Nursing. The donation will also become the financial foundation of the planned Hartford Center of Excellence in Geriatric Education, she said.
“It’s just one of many ways a person can give to the U…and (an endowed chair) can last for a while,” said Ryann Rasmussen, a U spokeswoman for health sciences.
Robert Rice knew all about healthy aging. Although Robert Rice died of cancer in the summer of 2007, he could be seen riding his bicycle and exercising just a few months his death. He also opened the first fitness gym in Salt Lake City in 1952, which later became part of European Health Spas, the world’s largest physical fitness chain at the time.
Rice also donated $1 million to rebuild Rice-Eccles Stadium, an endowed chair to the David Eccles School of Business and an endowing fund to the College of Pharmacy and the Moran Eye Center for cancer research.