Texas Southern University, alongside esteemed educator Dr. Ruth J. Simmons, has revealed plans for the Nora B. Wilson Endowment and Health Clinic, named in memory of Dr. Simmons' late sister.

The contribution will bolster the Texas Southern University Breast Cancer Screening and Prevention Center. This facility delivers prevention tools and early detection services to enhance health results across nine Southeast Texas counties including Harris, Brazoria, Galveston, Walker, Grimes, Matagorda, Wharton, Trinity and Polk.

"This is a legacy moment and so much more," said Texas Southern University President J.W. Crawford III. "I am thankful to Dr. Ruth J. Simmons and the Wilson family for the gift to Texas Southern University. More importantly, I am thankful to them for entrusting us with this very personal family enduring remembrance. I am truly humbled to take on the obligation to ensure the goodness she delivered in life will be paid forward here at Texas Southern University."

Nora B. Wilson survived breast cancer and her strength, resilience along with dedication to others touched many lives. She passed away in May. The endowment and clinic bearing her name will supply ongoing resources for education, outreach, screening awareness, research and community engagement efforts centered on breast cancer prevention and early detection.

The Nora B. Wilson clinic operates now inside the Texas Southern University Institute of Urban Public Health and Housing in the recently updated W.R. Banks Building. Plans call for relocating the clinic to the University's new Community Health Center once finished in 2027.

"Nora Wilson was such a person who lived a life of dignity and worth without ever being singled out for her importance, but she was important," said Dr. Ruth J. Simmons. "She was a daughter who sacrificed by going to work early to help support our family, a sister whose strong independence inspired us to live our lives with purpose and a respect for others, a mother whose strong independence protected her children and imparted inestimable values to guide their lives, and a wife whose loyalty and love to her husband Nathaniel endured until his death. This endowment that we are pleased to give Texas Southern honors one who labored largely without praise, who symbolizes the vast and diverse communities that universities ostensibly seek to serve. People like Nora across this land showed us what everyday determination and persistence could overcome."

The fund will also broaden access to vital educational materials and preventative programs, build community ties, encourage student and faculty participation in health equity work, and tackle disparities affecting underserved populations.

Beyond breast cancer screening, the clinic provides tests for sexually transmitted infections, offers checks for blood pressure, A1C and cholesterol. It further supplies medication therapy management and a dermatology service treating eczema and psoriasis.

The Nora B. Wilson Endowment will create lasting benefits for Texas Southern University students. Individuals interested in supporting this legacy can contact the University Advancement office to explore endowed giving options.

Texas Southern University honors our designation as a special-purpose institution for urban programming and research. As such, Texas Southern is a comprehensive university providing higher education access to the nation's underserved communities with academic and research programs that address critical urban issues and prepares its diverse student population to become a force for positive change in a global society. A distinguished educational pioneer since 1927, the University has become one of the most diverse and respected institutions in Texas.

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SOURCE Texas Southern University