Students perform an ultrasound under the guidance of Kirsten Engel, an HMS assistant professor of medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital. Image: Jessica Kisluk
Dorothy A. Black, MD ’65, was an avid gardener who cultivated roses, hostas, and ferns on her rooftop. Now, a nearly $2.5 million gift to Harvard Medical School from her estate will help HMS cultivate the people and ideas that will shape the future of medicine.
As unrestricted, flexible support, the gift gives the dean discretion to allocate the funds where they are needed most, enabling the School to address urgent needs and pursue emerging opportunities. This flexibility is particularly valuable as HMS navigates financial uncertainty while advancing its mission.
“These critical discretionary resources can be used to broaden access to medical education through financial aid, advance cutting-edge research, and provide stability for early-career scientists, among other priorities,” says HMS Dean George Q. Daley, AB ’82, MD ’91, PhD. “At a time when federal funding is vulnerable to sudden disruption, flexibility is key.”
Black, who died on Jan. 1, 2023, at age 93, made numerous gifts to HMS over the years, reflecting her lifelong commitment to learning and medicine. She entered HMS at age 31, a decade older than most of her classmates, and was one of only seven women in her graduating class. She went on to build a rewarding career in anesthesiology at Columbia, where she served as an attending anesthesiologist and assistant professor of clinical anesthesiology at what is now NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center.
Black valued the human connection at the heart of medicine. Earlier in her career, patients were often admitted the evening before surgery, giving her time to meet with them, answer their questions, and help ease their concerns. She was especially skilled at those conversations.
Away from the hospital, Black pursued a wide range of interests. She enjoyed opera and botanical gardens, read 19th-century fiction, and maintained a particular interest in the writer Margaret Fuller. Before pursuing medicine, she earned a bachelor’s degree from Rutgers and a master’s degree from Columbia.
By sharing their bequest intentions, donors help ensure that their gifts have the intended impact and give School leaders the information needed to anticipate and prepare for future needs. Donors also receive updates from the School about the programs and initiatives their gifts will support. |
|---|
Discover Harvard Medical School
Image: Jessica Kisluk