A 1952 alumnus of the University of Vermont College of Medicine and his family have established a $1 million endowed fund at the university to support the work of the Vermont Cancer Center at UVM and Fletcher Allen Health Care.

Arthur J. Perelman, M.D.’52, of Summit, N.J., sons Robert, Jon and Carl and their children established the Charlotte E. Perelman Cancer Research Fund in honor of their late wife, mother and grandmother. Nearly fifty family members and friends were on campus Saturday, June 22, to celebrate the gift and honor the late Mrs. Perelman.

“We are very grateful to the Perelman family for this generous and thoughtful gift in memory of Charlotte Perelman,” said UVM President Thomas Sullivan. “She was a valued member of our community and a strong advocate for the mission of the Vermont Cancer Center. She admired the Center's devotion to patient care, clinical research and education. It is fitting that we honor her memory in a way that will support and advance breakthrough cancer research at the Vermont Cancer Center.”

Mrs. Perelman had a keen interest in the work of the Vermont Cancer Center and her husband’s alma mater. The Perelman family designated the fund to support a wide range of research, educational and advocacy activities.

“My family and I are delighted to make this gift to the Vermont Cancer Center in honor of our beloved Charlotte,” said Dr. Perelman. “This was our wish together, and I am so happy to share in this remarkable day to honor such a beautiful person. She wanted to make a real difference, and she knew that the Vermont Cancer Center was the place she could do that.”

Vermont Cancer Center Directors Drs. Claire Verschraegen and Gary Stein, along with UVM College of Medicine Dean Frederick Morin and John Brumsted, President and CEO of Fletcher Allen Health Care, were at the celebratory event to offer thanks on behalf of their institutions and speak on the impact of the gift. In acknowledgment of the family’s gift and the legacy of Mrs. Perelman, a painting by Helen Shulman, the Perelmans’ niece, entitled “With a Following Wind” and memorial plaque were unveiled in the Larner Medical Education Center at Saturday’s event.

The Vermont Cancer Center at the University of Vermont and Fletcher Allen Health Care is a not-for-profit comprehensive clinical and research cancer center, the only such organization in the state of Vermont. Founded in 1974, the Vermont Cancer Center comprises more than 120 scientists and physicians dedicated to providing state-of-the art cancer diagnosis and treatment, delivering compassionate care to maximize the quality of life for the patient and family throughout the disease, improving the human condition as it is affected by cancer, through fostering and sustaining innovative research in the laboratory that optimizes capabilities in the clinic, and advancing cancer prevention, control and early detection through education and research programs in a rural setting.

The UVM Foundation secures and manages private support for the benefit of the University of Vermont.