Established January 1997

The Evans chair in ophthalmology was funded as part of the largest single personal gift in the history of the School of Medicine.

William Evans '21M practiced medicine in Youngstown, Ohio, but never forgot his alma mater. Upon the death of Blondina Evans, who outlived her husband, the university learned that the couple had bequeathed a large portion of their estate to the School of Medicine.

The gift provided funds for the Evans chair and the Evans Research and Education Center. It was the first gift matched by Kentucky's Research Challenge Trust Fund.