Arnolds donate $7 million to USC for health research

A $7 million donation announced Thursday will expand public health research at the University of South Carolina.

The gift from retired developer Norman Arnold and wife, Gerry Sue, establishes an institute named for them that will focus on improving stroke recovery, reducing dementia and curbing childhood obesity.

The gift was the couple’s second large-money endowment given to the public health school. The school was named after Norman Arnold when he donated $10 million in 2000.

Arnold, 86, said he and his wife want to assist “those who wouldn’t be able to help themselves.”

Their goal is “the gift of a long life” for more people by developing ways to combat common health problems, he said.

The donation will come in stages over the next seven years, USC said.

The money will support cutting-edge study exploring new methods of stroke recovery, health sciences professor Julius Fridriksson said.

Other study will focus on ways to age well from the cradle to the grave, USC officials said.

The gift underscores an “enduring friendship” between the Arnolds and USC, said Tom Chandler, dean of the health school.

That relationship led the school to make the couple the first recipients of its new award recognizing public health heroes.

This story was originally published November 12, 2015 at 3:09 PM.