On May 9, 2018, the Mayo Clinic announced that it had received a $25 million gift from William A. and Carolyn D. Franke and family from Paradise Valley, Arizona. The transformative gift supported scholarships and operations, and is the largest contribution in the history of Mayo Clinic’s Arizona campus.

In recognition of the gift, the Mayo Clinic Education Center at Mayo Clinic Hospital in Arizona will be named the Mayo Clinic Franke Education Center.

Mr. William (Bill) Franke, one of Arizona’s most prominent business leaders, and his family long have been interested in education and its impact on the Arizona economy. The Franke family was drawn to Mayo Clinic School of Medicine’s commitment to educating diverse learners. This gift will guarantee scholarships are available to recruit the best and brightest students who choose their career based on passion rather than financial concerns or social background.

Physicians need more than traditional medical skills to succeed in the hospitals of tomorrow. The most promising students are looking for a more rigorous academic experience that incorporates advanced technology and opportunities for supplementary training. Mayo Clinic School of Medicine is transforming medical education and research training to improve patient care, accelerate discovery and innovation, and advance the practice of medicine. Through a curriculum dedicated to lifelong education, students at Mayo Clinic School of Medicine learn from world-class faculty to exchange ideas and challenge traditional science with a never-ending quest for new knowledge. This philosophy has garnered the medical school the No. 6 ranking in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Medical Schools.

The medical school is the flagship school of Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, one of the largest postgraduate medical education system in North America. The college educates more than 4,000 students annually in four schools. In addition, Mayo Clinic School of Continuous Professional Development educates 100,000 learners annually.