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KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- A pediatric neurologist who helped establish the neurology department at Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Mo., has left $300,000 for the University of Kansas, announced Barbara Atkinson, M.D., dean of the School of Medicine at the KU Medical Center.
After graduating from KU, C.B. "Buzz" Francisco served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy. He completed a neurology residency at the KU Medical Center in 1964, followed by a National Institutes of Health genetics fellowship in Pasadena, Calif. In 1970, he joined the staff of Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City. Together with Eugene Baska, M.D., he was instrumental in establishing the child neurology department at the hospital. He retired from Children's Mercy in 1994 and died in May 2002.
"Dr. Francisco's gift is characteristic of his thoughtfulness," Atkinson said. "Unrestricted dollars are extremely important. They can help us recruit new people, retain current faculty and fill a variety of last-minute needs." In some cases, she said, unrestricted funds may help purchase equipment needed for research or provide supplies for a program that can't be supported by the state.
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Dean Kim A. Wilcox said the gift will give the college flexibility.
"The generosity of Dr. Francisco's unrestricted gift comes at a time when state-assisted budgets have become even tighter," Wilcox said. "The flexibility of this gift will allow us to begin truly worthy initiatives that we might not otherwise be able to support.
"Although I did not have the chance to meet Dr. Francisco, I have had the pleasure of knowing his niece, Marci Francisco, a longtime supporter and friend of the College who continues her uncle's spirit and belief in the value of a liberal arts education."
Marci, environmental design '73 and architecture '77, said her uncle valued his education at KU.
"In particular, he spoke to me about Latin and logic classes he took as an undergraduate as being very enjoyable and, later, very useful to him as a doctor," said Marci, a former mayor of Lawrence and a space analyst at the KU Office of Institutional Research and Planning.
Marci said Buzz had a wide range of interests and hobbies, among them playing the bagpipes, exploring railroads, hiking and setting type for his own printing press. He did not restrict the uses of his bequest, though, which she said illustrates how deeply he cared about education.
"He trusted other people to figure out what they needed and to spend the money wisely," she said.
After graduating from KU, Buzz served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy. He completed a neurology residency at the KU Medical Center in 1964, followed by a National Institutes of Health genetics fellowship in Pasadena, Calif. In 1970, he joined the staff of Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Mo. Together with Eugene Baska, M.D., he was instrumental in establishing the child neurology department at the hospital. Buzz retired from Children's Mercy in 1994.
Buzz came from a long line of Kansas health care professionals and family members with strong ties to KU. His father, Clarence B. Francisco, M.D., medicine '07, graduated two years after the School of Medicine was established and was one of the first orthopedists in Kansas City. Buzz's older brother, W. David Francisco, M.D., liberal arts '41 and medicine '44, is also a retired orthopedist who lives in Prairie Village. David's son is D. Duke Francisco, D.D.S., biology '75, an endodontist in Leawood.
"Buzz was very interested in the cerebral palsy clinic and the neurology program at KU and enjoyed his work there as a resident," David said. He also said that in addition to the bequest, his brother donated his body to KU for educational purposes.
Buzz's gift counts toward the $500 million goal of KU First: Invest in Excellence, the largest fund-raising campaign in KU history. KU Endowment is conducting KU First on behalf of KU through 2004 to raise funds for scholarships, fellowships, professorships, capital projects and program support. KU Endowment is an independent, nonprofit organization serving as the official fund-raising and fund-management organization for KU.
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