Jenny and Wendell Erwin, M.D.Wendell D. Erwin, M.D., wanted to be a doctor for as long as he can remember. After graduating from Baylor University, he made the natural progression to Baylor College of Medicine in 1962. He retired in 1999 after a successful career as an orthopedic surgeon with BCM and Texas Children’s Hospital. He now serves on the BCM Alumni Cabinet and as the alumni representative on the BCM Board of Trustees. “After being away for so many years, serving on the cabinet and board are a meaningful way for me to reconnect with the BCM community,” Dr. Erwin said recently.
Dr. Erwin and his wife Jenny made the decision to support the Jenny & Wendell D. Erwin, M.D. ’66 Endowed Scholarship Fund through funding a $100,000 two-life charitable gift annuity (CGA). They funded the CGA with an asset that they weren’t going to sell and that generated comparable income as the CGA. Giving through a CGA also allowed the Erwins to give more than they otherwise would have and increased their scholarship to the minimum amount to be a fully funded endowment.
“Funding a CGA allowed us to have the best of both worlds—benefitting BCM and still having a fixed income.”
Dr. Erwin believes that it’s important to help others and give them an opportunity to go to medical school. While he was a student, Dr. Erwin worked a variety of jobs, including working the switchboard at the security desk at the Cullen Building entrance of BCM.
After Dr. Erwin graduated in 1966, he considered residency training on the east coast but decided to stay in Houston at Ben Taub General Hospital. “I was looking to broaden my education and found that I didn’t need to go far. Ben Taub was by far the superior institution for training,” he said.
Although retired, Dr. Erwin remains very active with various hobbies, including skiing, playing the piano, golf, cycling and reading. And, of course, he and Mrs. Erwin spend time with their two grandchildren every chance they get.