Dr. Paul W. Burleson: Making A Gift That Keeps On Giving

As a member of the Alabama State Board of Medical Scholarship Awards, Dr. Paul W. Burleson was troubled by the fact that talented young students from Alabama were leaving for prominent medical schools in other states. The impact of this experience never left him.

During the Campaign for UAB, Dr. Burleson established the Paul W. and Martha R. Burleson Medical Scholarship Endowment at UAB. To ensure that his support would continue, he remembered UAB in his will with a substantial bequest to benefit this scholarship and to establish the Paul W. Burleson Chair of Internal Medicine.

After completing his advanced medical training, Dr. Burleson returned to Birmingham to establish a practice of internal medicine that spanned nearly four decades. He served on the medical faculty at UAB from 1951 until his retirement in 1986.

Dr. Burleson believes the years he practiced medicine were among the most exciting in the history of healthcare. “I’m just as optimistic about the future that will face young medical professionals like Burleson Scholars Alvin Shih and Tim Foo,” Dr. Burleson said. “We are standing at the threshold of a new era that will see breakthroughs in diagnosis, treatment, and cures that I can’t even imagine. It gives me a wonderful feeling to know that through my endowed scholarship and chair I will be able to play an important role in that bright future long after I’m gone.”

The University of Alabama at Birmingham is truly grateful for the exceptional friendship and generosity of Dr. Paul W. Burleson. If you would like to learn more about making a planned gift to the University, please contact Elaine Eberhart, Director of Planned Giving, at (205) 934-0759.