$250,000 gift supports children's eye care at University of Chicago Hospitals

A generous gift of $250,000 from Chicago real estate developer Dempsey J. Travis will support the opening of the Dempsey and Moselynne Travis Pediatric Eye Clinic, a specialty center devoted to prevention, diagnosis and treatment of children's eye disease at the University of Chicago Hospitals.

The gift will support research in pediatric eye diseases, the purchase of specialized equipment for children's eye care and a program that provides free glasses to children who need but can't afford them.

"This magnanimous gift helps us provide better care to all children and sustains our efforts to help the children who need us most," said J. Terry Ernest, M.D., Ph.D., professor and chairman of ophthalmology and visual sciences at the University of Chicago.

Dempsey Travis, an entrepreneur, public figure and author, is the president of Travis Realty Company®, which has been listed as one of the 100 largest African American businesses in America. He was ranked by Ebony Magazine as one of the 100 Most Influential Black Americans, and by Dollar and Sense Magazine as Black Businessman of the Year.

Travis has authored seven books on urban history, sociology and politics, the history of jazz, and financial tactics. He was financial editor for Dollars and Sense Magazine for several years, and was also a contributing writer for Ebony Magazine and for Black Scholars.

"This was a natural step for me," said Travis, who also supports a scholarship foundation for high school students. "You can't compete if you can't see."

The dedication ceremony for the clinic will be held at 5 p.m., Wednesday, May 31, in the Duchossois Center for Advanced Medicine at the University of Chicago Hospitals, 5758 S. Maryland.

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