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The Dallas Morning News Robert Miller Column: A Tribute to Son, Gift to College

Posted on: Wednesday, 31 May 2006, 18:00 CDT

By Robert Miller, The Dallas Morning News

May 25--Dallas philanthropists Charles and Dana Nearburg have given $2.6 million to Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore in memory of their son, Everett Charles "Rett" Nearburg.

Rett was a student there when he died on Jan. 14, 2005, after an 11 ½ -year battle with Ewing's Sarcoma, a rare type of bone cancer that most frequently occurs in youths.

He was diagnosed with the malady at age 10 while he attended St. Mark's School of Texas.

The gift, according to a college spokeswoman, will create the Rett Nearburg '07 Endowed Scholarship for students interested in interactive media and other electronic arts disciplines.

It will provide unrestricted endowment support for the college and establish an operating endowment for a new student life and residence facility.

The facility will be built in a circular design conceived as part of an international competition for young architects.

At the heart of the residence portion of the building, there will be an enclosed outdoor space called the Rett Nearburg '07 Courtyard.

All apartments in the building will look out onto the landscaped courtyard. Construction is scheduled to begin this fall.

The Nearburgs' gift completes MICA's $60 million phase 1 of its Plan for the 21st Century.

"The scholarships awarded in Rett's memory will focus primarily on potential recipients living in the Southwest," Mr. Nearburg said, and the first was awarded to a student from Houston.

Mrs. Nearburg said that becoming part of an "artists' community with the quality of instruction and interaction found at MICA meant the world to Rett. He was in his element, challenged, recognized and having the time of his life."

MICA president Fred Lazarus said that Rett "truly became a member of the MICA community. He loved living in MICA's freshman residence hall, the Commons, and, in particular, the activity and energy he found there.

"Rett made many close friends at MICA and relished being a member of a community of artists. He was a talented and intelligent young man who also knew how to have fun.

"The courtyard named for him will be a place of celebration, music and creative activity; a space to meditate, contemplate and gather, in short, a place that honors the unique spirit of Rett."

Rett was a member of the class of '02 at St. Mark's but left the school in 1999 during a virulent period of his bout with cancer. He completed his secondary education at Highland Park High School.

His parents gave $2 million to St. Mark's during its $40 million capital Campaign for St. Mark's some years back. Part of the gift went to build Nearburg Hall. The rest was added to the school's endowment.

Charles and Dana Nearburg also donated around $2.5 million to the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center for Ewing's Sarcoma research.

Mr. Nearburg owns Nearburg Producing Co.

Speech canceled

The World Affairs Council of Dallas-Fort Worth said Wednesday that Richard Holbrooke has canceled his Thursday luncheon address for personal reasons. It will be rescheduled.

E-mail bmiller@dallasnews.com

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Copyright (c) 2006, The Dallas Morning News

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Source: The Dallas Morning News

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