A $1.6 million estate gift from the late Dr. C. Carl Tully Sr., of South Charleston, will benefit parents pursuing graduate degrees from the WVU School of Medicine.
Parents pursuing graduate degrees from the West Virginia University School of Medicine will benefit from a $1.6 million estate gift from a late WVU-trained family physician.
The recently completed trust gift from Dr. C. Carl Tully Sr., of South Charleston, bolsters a namesake scholarship fund established by Tully and his wife, Margaret, prior to their passing. The scholarship supports WVU School of Medicine graduate students with children. Recipients must also show academic promise and demonstrate financial need.
“The Tully family is alleviating a concern or burden that gives our deserving students not only financial support, but a nod to the unique challenges that they may face as they tackle two of life’s most challenging and rewarding tasks – parenthood and graduate studies,” Dr. Clay Marsh, chancellor and executive dean for WVU Health Sciences, said.
Scholarship recipient James Donovan is grateful for Tully’s support. A 37-year-old student from New Jersey, Donovan came to WVU for his medical degree after serving 12 years in the United States Army. He and his wife, France, are raising two children – Scarlett, 11, and Shay, 12 – as he works toward graduation in May.
Tully Scholarship recipient James Donovan (rear, right) poses with wife France (rear, left) and children (front, from left) Scarlett and Shay.
“When you’re younger and single, you only have to take care of yourself, whereas when you get older and you start having a family and kids, you’re taking care of a group of people,” Donovan said. “There’s always some financial burdens and costs that come with that. … Getting this scholarship helps me out so much, because it reduces the amount I have to pay back later for loans that I have taken out.”
Tully’s son – C. Carl Tully Jr., a WVU School of Dentistry alumnus – said he and his brother, Richard, were born before his dad entered medical school. His father worked as a firefighter, postman, soda jerk and more to support his family as he completed his education.
“My dad probably knew the hardship of going to school while raising a family as much as anybody,” he said. “I went through dental school with children. You know the things you have to do. You have to spend so much time with your children and so much time on school.”
Dr. Norman Ferrari III, chief academic officer for medical education, vice dean for education and academic affairs at the School of Medicine and chair of the Department of Medical Education, noted that the Tully family has a long history of support for the School and its students.
“Students who begin the medical education journey with children have additional stress points, and this kind of scholarship support relieves at least one burden for them,” Ferrari said. “We are so appreciative of having this kind of scholarship to support our students who are also parents.”
C. Carl Tully Sr. started his medical training at WVU and completed his degree at the Medical College of Virginia (now Virginia Commonwealth University) in 1947. Having enlisted in the Army during World War II, he served as a commissioned officer at the U.S. Marine Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, in the late 1940s and returned to active duty with the Army during the Korean War in the early 1950s.
He fulfilled his mission to become a “people doctor” when he opened his family practice in South Charleston in 1953. C. Carl Tully Jr. said his dad was a dedicated physician who often made house calls in the evenings, even after working in the office all day. He was also deeply committed to his community, serving on the Kanawha County Board of Education for 12 years, coaching youth baseball and football and helping to develop Little Creek Park in South Charleston, among many other achievements.
“He was a great man,” C. Carl Tully Jr. said. “Everybody respected him, and he did a lot for the city of South Charleston.”
C. Carl Tully Sr. was always proud to be from West Virginia and supported the University throughout his life. Later in his career, he returned to WVU as a faculty member in Charleston. In 2000, he was an honoree for “Most Loyal West Virginian” during WVU’s Mountaineer Week.
Tully’s gift was made through the WVU Foundation, the nonprofit organization that receives and administers private donations on behalf of the University.