 "Photo: Cody Cousino / Photo editor")
Ohio State alumnus Leslie H. Wexner was honored Friday with the renaming of the Ohio State Medical Center to Wexner Medical Center at The Ohio State University.
A reception commemorating Wexner's honor hosted by President E. Gordon Gee and Steven G. Gabbe, CEO of the Wexner Medical Center, was held at 2 p.m.
The OSU Board of Trustees voted unanimously Friday morning on the renaming of the hospital in honor of Wexner's leadership and service to the university in the last three decades, Gee said in an email to faculty, students and staff.
Wexner, CEO of Limited Brands, has donated more than $200 million to OSU and, as a member of the University Campaign Steering Committee, has played a vital part in propelling the growth of the university's endowment, which is now more than $2 billion, according to a press release. In February 2011, Wexner donated $100 million to the medical center, Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Wexner Center for the Arts, which was the largest single donation in the history of the university.
"(Wexner's) generous contributions, both in time and resources, have been wholly transformational, but his most valuable gift has been his remarkable leadership," Gee said.
Wexner has served on the Board of Trustees for 16 years and as board chair, he has played a key role in the $1 billion expansion of the medical center, according to a press release.
In the email, Gee said the renaming "recognizes the critical work the Wexners have undertaken to ensure The Ohio State University Medical Center is able to solve some of medicine's most persistent challenges and change lives for the better."
At the press conference, Wexner said if it were not for OSU, he would not have attended college and his experience shaped his life.
"Attending this university changed my life, and I continue to witness the incredible potential this institution has to do the same thing for others," Wexner said in a press release.
Wexner said he has faith in what the medical center can achieve.
"I have every confidence that the complex medical challenges confronting us today will be solved at The Ohio State University through the collaboration among researchers and scientists from a broad spectrum of specialties," Wexner said in the release.
Closing the reception, Gabbe presented Wexner and his wife Abigail with white doctor coats with the new medical center name and logo.
"There is no greater honor that could be bestowed upon our Medical Center than having the Wexner name, and for that, we just can't thank you enough," Gabbe said.