Gift Helps Fund Medical Research at UM-Flint

A new medical research laboratory will be dedicated at the University of Michigan-Flint on Thursday, January 31, 3 p.m., Room 283 Murchie Science Building. The Dr. Ben F. Bryer Medical Research Laboratory is being dedicated in recognition of a gift for medical research from the Ben F. Bryer Foundation.

The fund was established by the Ben F. Bryer Foundation to encourage and support the medical research endeavors of the University of Michigan-Flint faculty. This research fund honors the accomplishments of Ben Bryer, surgeon, scientist, educator, author, and humanist, in his pursuit of medical knowledge.

Dr. Bryer graduated from Flint Central High in 1930. He received a medical degree from the University of Pittsburgh. His post graduate studies were interrupted when he joined the United States Army as a surgeon during World War II eventually becoming a lieutenant colonel, Medical Corp, with stations in Texas and China. Upon returning to the United States in 1946, Dr. Bryer continued his study of surgery, specializing in abdominal and gastro-intestinal procedures. Although his later appointments were in New York, Dr. Bryer continued to share his knowledge of medicine through fellowships, international medical lectures, and publications including "The Multiple Injury Patient" which has been distributed to all Medical Schools and Medical Libraries in the United States and abroad. His achievements earned Dr. Bryer several awards including the Gold Achievement Award from the American Society of Abdominal Surgeons and features in Who's Who in the World and a place in the Wisdom Hall of Fame.

The Dr. Ben F. Bryer Medical Research Fund will be available, on an application basis, to full-time faculty of the University of Michigan-Flint to provide support for medical and biomedical research, with a priority given to research related to cancer.

Bess Hurand, the sister of the late Dr. Bryer, serves as a trustee for this foundation. She and her husband, Art are long-time Flint area business people known for their generosity. She has been instrumental in directing funds from the foundation to the University of Michigan-Flint and the community.

The dedication ceremony not only honors the legacy of Dr. Bryer, but serves as a means of thanking the Hurands for their commitment to the Flint community.