Ralph Wilson Medical Research Foundation

NEWS & PUBLICATIONS

Taking risks and getting results

Ralph and Mary Wilson

Friends of Mayo Magazine
Spring, 2006

    Ralph Wilson, Jr., describes himself as "a risk taker who hopes to get lucky." His longtime chief financial officer, Jeff Littmann, says Mr. Wilson is a classic entrepreneur who applies his appetite for risk to philanthropy.

    "Mr. Wilson is a venture philanthropist," Mr. Littmann says. "He backs talented investigators who advocate novel strategies. When successful, those discoveries can be leveraged into major advances in the quality of health care."

    This risk-taking philosophy explains Mr. Wilson's leadership as founder and owner of the Buffalo Bills football team, his passion for tennis - and the focus of his philanthropy on projects that transform medicine.

    Established in 1999, the Ralph C. Wilson Medical Research Foundation supports research in cancer, diseases of the heart and blood vessels, neurological diseases and disorders of the muscles and bones. Specifically, the foundation supports innovative projects that may be difficult to fund through government grants and other conventional sources.

    The Ralph C. Wilson Medical Research Foundation works with six partner institutions: Mayo Clinic, The Cleveland Clinic, The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, N.Y., University of Michigan and Wayne State University in Detroit, Mich. "We've targeted these organizations to get started, but as the years go forward, other institutions may be included," Mr. Wilson explains.

Making a difference
    "Everyone should find some way to benefit others," says Mr. Wilson. His spouse, Mary, agrees. Mrs. Wilson is past president of the National Senior Women's Tennis Association and a top-ranked player in her age division. She also serves on the U. S. Tennis Association's Tennis and Education Foundation Board. She explains: "We want to make a difference here and now and also for the future."

    Born in Columbus, Ohio, Mr. Wilson grew up in Detroit, graduated from the University of Virginia and attended The University of Michigan Law School. After serving in the Navy during World War II, he developed and owned companies in diverse fields such as trucking, construction, television, insurance, energy and manufacturing.

     Mr. Wilson combined his love of sports and business by founding the Buffalo Bills football team in 1959 when he and seven colleagues established the American Football League (AFL). He played a key role in merging the AFL with the National Football League (NFL) in 1970; since then, he has served on virtually every major committee of the NFL.

Passion for people
    Although Mr. Wilson's professional life involves large-scale business ventures, his passion is for people. Mr. Wilson is the only original owner of an NFL team that has remained in its original city. When people see him in public, they often stop to thank him for his commitment to the city.

     Mr. and Mrs. Wilson support humanitarian causes with a local, regional, national and international outreach. They are active with food banks, the Ronald McDonald House, United Way, Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the performing arts. The Hospice Center of Western New York named a 22-bed inpatient unit in honor of the Wilsons for their dedication to hospice care.

     Mayo Clinic has been "a great partner," he says. The Wilson family and many of their associates are loyal patients of Mayo Clinic.

     When creating the foundation, Mr. Wilson and his advisors consulted Hugh Smith, M.D., then chair of Mayo Clinic Rochester Board of Governors. These and other discussions helped shape the foundation's mission of establishing long term relationships with leading medical centers and awarding competitive grants to the most promising initiatives.

     Since 2000, the Ralph C. Wilson Medical Research Foundation has reached the Principal Benefactor level through generous giving to Mayo Clinic. "These grants recognize the broad base of scientific investigation at Mayo," says John Burnett, M.D., who served on the foundation's Scientific Advisory Committee.

     As Dr. Burnett explains: "Mayo's endeavors connect with the priorities of the Ralph C. Wilson Medical Research Foundation. It's a great inspiration to see the Wilsons place their trust in us and commit their resources to advancing medicine."