Chuck Durham’s philanthropic reach extends to countless educational and charitable organizations, and nowhere has the Omaha businessman had a greater impact than at UNMC.
“No one has been more supportive of our mission and needs than Chuck,” Chancellor Harold M. Maurer, M.D. said. “Few gifts can be characterized as ‘transforming,’ but that is exactly the extent to which Chuck’s gifts have elevated our university.”
On Sunday, the Omaha World-Herald named Durham as its Midlander of the Year.
“The award is a well-deserved, and perhaps overdue, honor for Chuck,” Dr. Maurer said. “Only once in a lifetime do you ever get to meet somebody like Chuck Durham, and I have been very fortunate to become a good friend of his over the past few years.”
Durham’s gifts to UNMC are unmatched. In 1998, Durham and his late wife, Margre, established the Charles W. and Margre H. Durham Excellence in Medicine Fund to support research in prostate cancer, arthritis and minimally invasive surgery. Their support made it possible for UNMC to be the eighth medical center in the country to acquire the robotic da Vinci Surgical System, putting Nebraska on the map in the area of computer-assisted surgery. In recognition of their gift, the Outpatient Care Center was renamed the Durham Outpatient Center and the adjacent five-level parking garage was named the Durham Outpatient Center Parking.
More recently, he made the largest single gift in UNMC’s history to help fund construction of the $77 million Durham Research Center on the west end of the campus. His support also is making possible the construction of a $19.3 million parking garage for employees. The DRC is expected to open next fall along 45th Street. The 10-level, 289,000 gross-square-foot building will enable UNMC to enhance its research in areas such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, neurosciences, transplantation biology, genetics and ophthalmology.
Durham serves as chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Durham Resources. Previously, he served as chairman and CEO of HDR, Inc., an international engineering and architectural firm with work in all 50 states and 20 countries.
“Chuck Durham’s story is a testament to the value of hard work and perseverance,” Dr. Maurer said. “As an engineer he helped build HDR into an international giant. As a philanthropist, he has helped UNMC in its vision of becoming a world-class institution in the areas of education, research and patient care. We are extremely grateful to Chuck for his generous support and leadership.”
For the World-Herald’s article profiling Durham as its Midlander of the Year, click here.