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May 2003

Friends honor Drewa with professorship

Marcus Drewa is greeted by Interim President David Kline

About 350 friends of Marcus Drewa have established the Marcus E. Drewa Health Administration Distinguished Professorship to honor a man who has devoted more than 50 years of his life to health care in Jacksonville.

Drewa's friends raised $356,000 to fund the professorship at UNF's College of Health. The gift qualifies for $178,000 in state-matching funds, which increases its value to $534,000. Several of the contributions to fund the professorship were for $10,000 or more.

Some of the people who played major roles in establishing the professorship include Bill Gay, chief executive of W.W. Gay Mechanical Contractor, Doug Milne, president and CEO of the Milne Cos., and philanthropist Mary Virginia Terry.

"Marcus is a true friend and colleague who committed his life to health care," said Dr. Pam Chally, dean of the College of Health. "The gift is a major boost to the health administration program and allows us to attract a prestigious professor in his honor."

Drewa, 71, was the president and CEO of Methodist Medical Center and Foundation for 33 years. In 1966, Drewa helped transform a struggling, financially strapped hospital on Eighth Street known as Brewster Methodist Hospital into what ultimately became Methodist Medical Center, one of the city's major hospitals.

That transformation often was referred to as the "Miracle on Eighth Street." Methodist Medical Center and University Medical Center merged in 1999 to form Shands Jacksonville. Drewa was a consultant at Shands Jacksonville for four years.
Drewa, a near legendary figure on the local health care scene, has an aversion to what he calls "tooting my own horn." He attributes any success he's had in his career to "God, my family, the board of directors, the medical staff and the employees, and the community."

When asked about having a distinguished professorship named in his honor, Drewa paused, expressed concern about finding the appropriate words, and then quietly said, "I'm very grateful something like that happened. I am very humbled about it and very appreciative of the honor bestowed upon me."

Under the terms of the gift agreement, the Marcus E. Drewa Health Administration Distinguished Professorship will allow a nationally recognized health administrator to support the academic community and health care industry in Northeast Florida. The Drewa Professorship also enables the College of Health to expand its master's of Health Administration program.