Frable Family’s Scholarship Legacy Fuels Feinberg’s Next Chapter
Long before scholarship support became a defining priority at leading medical schools, William J. “Jack” Frable, ’59 MD, ’60 GMER, ’64 GMER (’97 P) (’24 GP), and the late Mary Ann Frable, ’59 MD, ’64 GMER (’97 P) (’24 GP), were already trailblazers—creating opportunities for talented students to pursue their ambitions at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
After many years of generous giving, the Frables in 1997 established the Frable Medical Students Scholars Program, an endowed fund designed to provide merit-based scholarships. The investment reflected a belief the Frables embraced early and have instilled within their family to this day: that scholarships are essential to attracting and training the best doctors and advancing medicine.
The Jack and Mary Ann Frable Medical Student Scholarship and the Mary Ann Frable, MD Dean’s Scholarship have supported 20 students, many of them receiving full-tuition support. The Frables have enjoyed getting to know their scholars learning about their medical school journeys and lives even as they move on to residencies, fellowships, and careers. Dr. Mary Ann Frable passed away in 2020, but her and her husband’s vision lives on and has paved the way for many other donors to establish scholarships in their own names or in honor of beloved mentors, family members, classmates, and more.
In May 2026, Feinberg launched an ambitious effort to raise $200 million in scholarship funding by 2032, building on remarkable growth over the past decade. The Frables were vital in laying the groundwork for Feinberg’s scholarship program and ensuring its continued success, but significant support is still needed to broaden scholarship support across the student body.
“The need for scholarships has never been greater,” Dr. Jack Frable said. “Supporting students is essential to ensuring the very best minds can train at Northwestern and go on to transform patient care.”
A Legacy Begins at Northwestern
Over almost 30 years, the Frables have grown their scholarship fund annually through outright gifts, IRA contributions, and charitable remainder trusts, and they have pledged additional gifts through their estate. Their legacy is rooted in their own formative experience at Northwestern: The two met as first-year medical students in 1955 and graduated together in 1959.
The Frables went on to distinguished careers at Virginia Commonwealth University, where Dr. Mary Ann Frable became a tenured professor of otolaryngology and Dr. Jack Frable rose to national prominence in pathology, earning some of the field’s highest honors. Yet even as their professional accomplishments grew, their connection to Feinberg—and its students—remained a priority.
For students, the Frables’ support creates opportunities that extend well beyond the classroom.
“The scholarship made it possible for me to fully pursue research and service,” said Sarah Ann Duck, a Mary Ann Frable, MD Dean’s Scholar, who during her first year of medical school was able to research a rare genetic condition through the Summer Research Scholars Program and serve as president of Chicago Medicine and Street Outreach, which provides care to unhoused individuals.
The Frables’ legacy is also deeply personal for the family. Their daughter, Geraldine, went into medicine and credits her parents’ example as foundational.
“My parents showed me that medicine is not just a profession— it’s a responsibility to lift others along the way. Their commitment to giving has shaped both my career and my values, and it continues to inspire our entire family,” said Geraldine E. Menard, ’97 MD, ’00 GMER (’24 P), who followed her parents to Feinberg and now works at Tulane University, where she serves as associate professor of medicine, chief of general internal medicine and geriatrics, and vice chair of Clinical Affairs in the Deming Department of Medicine.
For more information about supporting scholarships, please contact Larry Kuhn at larry-kuhn@northwestern.edu or 312-503-1717.