The Dee Endowment for the Enhancement of Teaching was established in honor of Thomas D. Dee II. Sincere appreciation is extended to him, his wife, Elizabeth Brown Dee, and his children for their consistent support of the University of Utah.
About Thomas D. Dee II
A quiet leader, Thomas D. Dee II was a community builder with a wide range of civic and business interests. He operated the Utah Canning Company with his father, and later went on to serve as vice president of First Security Bank. He was a man of vision and foresight. He had an eye for the new and a commitment to making a difference.
His sons, Thomas D. Dee III and David L. Dee, note that their father's contributions to the community were made unconditionally and quietly, always reflecting his commitment to two unwavering values: honesty and integrity:
"Throughout our dad's lifetime, we saw in countless ways his willingness to invest in worthwhile people and causes. We hope students at the University of Utah might learn, as we did from him, that being an honest, sincere, and kind person should be your greatest aspiration."
In 1982 when the field of genetics was in its youth, Thomas, recognizing the value of genetic research to the future of medicine, gave a significant gift to the University of Utah, establishing the Thomas D. Dee II Presidential Endowed Chair in Human Genetics. This gift enabled the University to recruit its first major genetics researcher and was a key building block in the development of the University of Utah’s Human Genetic Department, which is recognized today as one of the most outstanding in the world.
Service and generosity is a tradition in the Dee family, beginning with Tom’s grandmother, Annie Taylor Dee, who helped found the Thomas D. Dee Memorial Hospital in Ogden. Mr. Dee served on its board and that of its successor, the McKay-Dee Hospital Center for more than 40 years. In addition to the establishment of the Dee Chair in 1982, and the creation of the Dee Endowment for the Enhancement of Teaching in 1989, the College of Nursing and the Department of Ophthalmology have also benefited from his compassionate generosity. Mr. Dee also served on the University of Utah National Advisory and Health Sciences Councils, and as a founding trustee and finance committee chair of Intermountain Healthcare.