James “Jim” Wallis of Little Rock and his wife Patricia have pledged $500,000 to create the James and Patricia Wallis Professorship in Radiation Oncology at UAMS.
The gift was inspired by Jim Wallis’ tumor treatment using proton therapy at the Proton Center in Oklahoma City, UAMS said in a news release.
Wallis, an Arkansas native, attended the University of Tulsa and received a bachelor’s in petroleum engineering and later a law degree. He worked for several oil companies in Oklahoma before establishing ExOK Inc. in 1979, serving as chairman, president and CEO. He was also a founding member of Western National Bank, where he served as director.
In 2010, he was diagnosed with carotid paraganglioma and treated at the Proton Center in Oklahoma City.
“My experience was truly amazing,” he said. “I was able to continue my normal daily routine throughout the time I spent in treatment at the hospital. Pat and I truly believe that Arkansans deserve this advanced form of medical application, and we are honored to be able to support the UAMS Radiation Oncology Center.”
The professorship holder will be a faculty member of the UAMS College of Medicine’s Department of Radiation Oncology. The Wallis’ gift will support the holder’s educational, research and clinical activities.
“We have been very fortunate to be in the position that we are in, possessing an underlying feeling that we should be giving back,” Jim Wallis said. “As you go through life, some elements seem to command a great deal of your attention, but after a while, there are calls that reveal themselves to be just as important, and our philanthropy for UAMS has been a very rewarding experience for the both of us.”
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