A woman who died in 2009 apparently has left more than $7 million to the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of California, Davis. She has given the donation to honor her cat. According to a piece at KSWB News:
Maxine Adler brought her cat Du Bee to the school 10 years ago for cancer treatment. Though the cat died, Adler was grateful for the care Du Bee received, retired UC Davis executive Kelly Nimitz said.
Under the terms of the $7.6 million bequest, any cancer treatment discovered using the funds must include “Du Bee” in its name.
A photograph of Adler’s late cat will apparently hang in the school.
According to Kelly Nimtz, the former assistant dean of development at UC Davis:
This is a very competitive world. If you want the best feline researchers, you have to be able to guarantee them a resource base that would exceed what they might have anywhere else. You want the stars, and thanks to Maxine and her generosity, we will be able to attract them.
Nimtz managed to say this without laughing aloud. Getting “the best feline researchers” is apparently a priority.
The state of California, meanwhile, continues to cut funding for programs at its state universities. Students will pay almost $1,900 more this year (or $13,000 total) to attend college at UC Davis.
Adler, the widow of a computer company executive, had no children.
