Andrew Taylor, an emeritus trustee of Washington University in St. Louis, and his wife, Barbara, have made a $50 million gift to WashU Medicine's neurosurgery department to enhance groundbreaking research, innovative patient care and the training of the next generation of neurosurgery leaders. In recognition of the Taylors' generosity, the department has been named the Taylor Family Department of Neurosurgery.
The gift continues a long legacy of support from the Taylor family to WashU and was made in appreciation of the medical care Andrew Taylor recently received from WashU Medicine neurosurgeons. He is executive chairman of St. Louis-based Enterprise Mobility, the global car rental and transportation company.
"This gift marks a new era in the history of innovative science and compassionate healing at WashU Medicine," said Chancellor Andrew D. Martin. "Andrew and Barbara's generosity is further strengthening the department's research infrastructure and helping WashU Medicine deliver world-class, life-changing care right here in St. Louis, while also providing life-saving innovations to the world. Their investment in new discoveries and treatments will give many more families reasons to feel grateful for decades to come."
The neurosurgery department is widely recognized as one of the best in the country. Among neurosurgery departments at U.S. medical schools, it is ranked No. 5 in research funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
WashU Medicine's masterful neurosurgeons and a powerful synergy between basic research and the latest technology ensure patients receive the very best care. The department is renowned for its leadership in treating a variety of conditions such as brain tumors, cerebral aneurysms, epilepsy, spine and peripheral nerve injuries and pediatric neurological problems, and is the highest volume program in Missouri and southern Illinois using deep brain stimulation for the treatment of movement disorders such as Parkinson's disease and essential tremor.
"The Taylor family has always valued people, nurtured talent and fostered a culture of excellence in their business endeavors and through their philanthropy," said David H. Perlmutter, MD, executive vice chancellor for medical affairs, the George and Carol Bauer Dean of WashU Medicine, and the Spencer T. and Ann W. Olin Distinguished Professor. "Those are values we uphold at WashU Medicine. With this gift, we can even more tightly embrace and nurture the culture that we've built over many years, thanks to leaders like Ralph Dacey and Greg Zipfel."
During his illness, Andrew Taylor received exceptional care from a team of WashU Medicine specialists led by Gregory Zipfel, MD, head of the Taylor Family Department of Neurosurgery and the Ralph G. Dacey Distinguished Professor of Neurosurgery - a professorship partly funded by the Taylors - and Wilson Zachary Ray, MD, the Henry G. and Edith R. Schwartz Professor of Neurosurgery and executive vice chair of the department. Ralph Dacey, MD, a close friend of the Taylors and a professor emeritus and former head of the neurosurgery department, guided and supported the Taylor family through Andrew's surgery and recovery.
The Taylors' gift will help the department recruit talented neurosurgeons and neurosurgery researchers, enhance neurosurgery residency and fellowship training programs and strengthen areas of expertise for which the department is already well regarded, including innovations in neurotechnology, brain tumor treatment and spinal surgery, Zipfel said.
In addition, the gift is designed to foster expertise in emerging or rapidly changing neurosurgery research fields and to support high-risk, high-reward projects, which would allow faculty to investigate novel areas of research as opportunities arise, without being as tied to the timetables or priorities of external granting agencies.
Zipfel said he believes new recruitment and research initiatives are likely to lead to major advances in the field of neurosurgery and new treatments. Breakthroughs, particularly in the areas of neuromodulation and the treatment of brain tumors, could be meaningfully accelerated by this gift.
"For example, our researchers in the Brain Tumor Center at Siteman Cancer Center are on the precipice of making true inroads into the treatment of glioblastoma, which is currently a universally fatal type of brain cancer," said Zipfel. "A gift like this can really shorten the timeline for developing better treatments. This transformational gift will have a lasting impact on our department, on WashU Medicine and our patients as we discover and innovate."
Taylor family's deep-seated commitment to WashU
The gift to support the neurosurgery department is the latest from the Taylor family to WashU. Andrew and Barbara Taylor and the Crawford Taylor Foundation previously gave $30 million to support to the Taylor Family Institute for Innovative Psychiatric Research at WashU Medicine. The Taylor family and Enterprise Mobility also contributed a total of $70 million to establish and expand the Enterprise Mobility Scholars Program, which provides scholarships to undergraduate students with financial need.
Most recently, in 2023, Andrew and Barbara Taylor made a $15 million gift to create the Taylor Family Center for Student Success, which provides resources and support to first-generation and limited-income undergraduate students. Andrew Taylor was also the chair of the public phase of WashU's last fundraising campaign, which raised a record $3.378 billion for the university. For their contributions to WashU and philanthropic leadership in the St Louis community, Andrew and Barbara Taylor were awarded the university's Robert S. Brookings Award in 2018 and honorary degrees in 2022.
The Taylors' long-term support reflects a deep-seated commitment to WashU and its place in St. Louis and the world. This most recent gift for the Taylor Family Department of Neurosurgery was inspired by a personal connection to WashU Medicine and to Dacey.
"This extraordinary gift will transform the Taylor Family Department of Neurosurgery, significantly enhancing the care we provide to patients now and for years to come," Dacey said. "Its impact will be far-reaching, benefiting thousands of patients in the St. Louis region and across the country, thanks to the incredible support of the Taylor family."
The Taylors' experience through Andrew's treatment and recovery reinforced their desire to support WashU Medicine's neurosurgery research and training and to accelerate the development of new interventions.
"The gift is absolutely appropriate, and it's worthwhile," Andrew Taylor said. "I hope it will save other families from going through what I had to go through and if they do, they will get great care like I did."
Added Barbara Taylor: "Like many, our family has benefited from the skilled doctors, nurses and excellent patient care that Washington University provides. We look forward to supporting the neurosurgery department in its efforts to hire and train the most talented doctors and to advance the international reputation of St. Louis as the place to be for outstanding health care with optimal results."
Zipfel praised the generosity of the Taylors, which shone through even during times of need.
"Throughout his care, even when he was ill and not at his best, Andrew was always asking us what he could do for us," Zipfel said. "He always had that spirit of giving at the forefront."
About Washington University School of Medicine
WashU Medicine is a global leader in academic medicine, including biomedical research, patient care and educational programs with 2,900 faculty. Its National Institutes of Health (NIH) research funding portfolio is the second largest among U.S. medical schools and has grown 56% in the last seven years. Together with institutional investment, WashU Medicine commits well over $1 billion annually to basic and clinical research innovation and training. Its faculty practice is consistently within the top five in the country, with more than 1,900 faculty physicians practicing at 130 locations and who are also the medical staffs of Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children's hospitals of BJC HealthCare. WashU Medicine has a storied history in MD/PhD training, recently dedicated $100 million to scholarships and curriculum renewal for its medical students, and is home to top-notch training programs in every medical subspecialty as well as physical therapy, occupational therapy, and audiology and communications sciences.
Originally published on the WashU Medicine website
