With New Gift, Frances and Gary Comer's Contributions to Pediatric Medicine Exceed $84 Million

Gary C. Comer, founder of the Lands' End clothing catalogue company, and his wife, Frances, have made one of the largest philanthropic commitments in the history of the city of Chicago. The Comers have donated a cumulative total of $84 million to support pediatrics at the University of Chicago Medical Center. Their most recent gift of $42 million is the largest single donation ever made to the University of Chicago.

Rendering of the new Center for Children and Specialty Care, by the architects--Smith Group

The Comers' gift will be used to build the Comer Center for Children and Specialty Care--a four-story, 122,500 square-foot facility adjoining the recently completed Comer Children's Hospital at the University of Chicago. In addition, their gift will be used for the continued recruitment of leading physician-scientists. These physicians will provide state-of-the-art care while advancing the forefront of pediatric medicine. The University has already started recruiting nationally recognized leaders in pediatric specialty care.

The Comer Center for Children and Specialty Care will add 50 percent to the space of the Comer Children's Hospital. The hospital, which opened last February, has already become a national model for pediatric healthcare. The center will include a new pediatric emergency room scheduled to open this year, followed in phases by space dedicated to specialty ambulatory care, advanced operating rooms and procedural areas, and expansion of inpatient units.

The Comers' generosity guarantees that the University of Chicago will remain at the forefront of pediatric care, providing the best possible setting for superb patient care, research, and training. "The goal here, and we are well on the way, is to create the best children's hospital for the care of complex disease in the world," said Steve Goldstein, MD, PhD, professor of pediatrics at the University of Chicago. "The Comer Children's Hospital and Comer Center for Children and Specialty Care will enhance and extend our tradition of training doctors to bring cutting-edge care to the rest of the globe."

Read more about Gary Comer and the Comer Children's Hospital at the University of Chicago:

Read a press release about this gift.
About Gary Comer
Comer Children's Hospital Building Facts
Take a Virtual Tour of the Comer Children's Hospital
Fact Sheet: Programs and Services
Mobile Healthcare Van
Child: Highest Rated Hospital in Chicago
Institute for Molecular Pediatric Sciences
Jules and Gwen Knapp Center for Biomedical Discovery
Move Day Photo Gallery
Ribbon Cutting Photo Gallery