Immersed in Translation - Ward Rounds - Northwestern University

WARD RounDs neWs
Filmmaker Hughes
leaves rich legacy
The 255-seat Hughes Auditorium has served as the home base for
hundreds of Northwestern medical students since it was unveiled
with the opening of the Robert H. Lurie Medical Research Center
of Northwestern University in 2005. Little did many know
that the aesthetically pleasing, state-of-the-art lecture hall came
courtesy of the generosity of prolific filmmaker John Wilden
Hughes Jr., and his wife, Nancy. On August 6, Hughes died suddenly
of a heart attack, leaving behind an enduring legacy that
included the medical school.
“His legacy goes far beyond his writing and movies that
have delighted a generation,” reflects James L. Schroeder, MD,
GME ’88, KSM ’87, family friend and physician. “Without fanfare
he also gave millions to medical research and education, to
relieve suffering and conquer disease. He enjoyed learning about
the work of physician researchers, approaching it with the fresh,
open curiosity of one who, though not a scientist, had great intuitive
insight into people and their passions.”
Best known as the writer, director, and/or producer of such
1980s comedies as National Lampoon’s Vacation, The Breakfast
Club, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, and the Home Alone series produced
in the early ’90s, Hughes left the entertainment world
behind at a relatively early stage in his life and chose instead to
spend his time in the Chicagoland area. It was important for
Hughes to give something back to the Windy City—the setting
for many of his films—and his philanthropy allowed him to do
just that. He understood the importance of providing future physicians
with the best education possible and supporting research
conducted on the medical school campus to advance patient care.
In 2006, Northwestern established the John and Nancy
Hughes Distinguished Professorship in Rheumatology from
a generous gift of endowment provided by the Hughes family.
John Varga, MD, professor of medicine in the Division of
Rheumatology, is the inaugural holder of this esteemed
academic position.
“The endowed professorship has made it possible to establish
at Northwestern a rheumatic disease center of excellence focusing
on scleroderma,” explains Dr. Varga. “The research supported by
the Hughes endowment is developing novel therapies for incurable
rheumatic conditions.”
10 ward rounds fall 2009
While the late John
hughes will be best
remembered for his
filmmaking, northwestern
will never
forget the generosity
of the hughes
family in supporting
research and
education at the
medical school.
Among the largest
auditoria on the
medical school campus,
the hughes
Auditorium can
accommodate an
entire medical
school class.