by Terri Hunter-Davis
Throughout his adult life, Herbert Gabriel, DDS, held an abiding fondness for the UCSF School of Dentistry.
A 1943 graduate of a combined DDS/orthodontics program, Dr. Gabriel found his calling at UCSF — and his bride, the former Betty Houghton, who was a student in the School of Nursing when they met. Over the ensuing years, the Gabriels lent their support to their respective schools.
Fittingly, Dr. Gabriel — who passed away in December 2015; Mrs. Gabriel predeceased him in 2004 — had a parting gift for the university: bequests for scholarships in the schools of dentistry and nursing.
A gift of $600,000 will be used to establish one or more scholarships in the orthodontics division of the School of Dentistry in Dr. Gabriel’s name; another gift of $600,000 will establish one or more scholarships in the School of Nursing in Betty Gabriel’s name. The bequest also includes the proceeds from the sale of property; additional funds are anticipated when that occurs.
“Herb Gabriel was one of the most charming, and most generous, people I’ve ever met,” recalled John D.B. Featherstone, dean of the School of Dentistry. “He was a tremendous advocate, for both nursing and dentistry.”
Over the years, Dr. Gabriel gave generously in support of orthodontic resident research — averaging $50,000 a year. In response, an unofficial “Herb Gabriel Day” each year gave orthodontic residents the opportunity to show their research to Dr. Gabriel.
“This very generous scholarship endowment will provide critical support to our graduate orthodontic residents’ educational expenses, and comes at a time when high student debts make it difficult to many deserving students to pursue their specialty training,” said Sunil Kapila, BDS, MS, PhD, chair of the Division of Orthodontics. “The scholarships will also help us maintain our competitive edge in recruiting the best residents to our orthodontics specialty program.”
Dr. Gabriel’s support was equally generous to the School of Nursing, even after his wife’s passing. In 2012, then-Chancellor Susan Desmond-Hellmann and her husband, Nicholas Hellmann, gave $1 million to be divided equally between the schools of dentistry, medicine, nursing and pharmacy — contingent upon a matching gift — for student support: the first Chancellor’s Endowed Scholarships at UCSF. Dr. Gabriel provided the matching gift, in his wife’s memory, for student scholarships in the School of Nursing.
The twin gifts in Dr. Gabriel’s final bequest are expected to endow scholarships in perpetuity: an enduring symbol of the Gabriels’ generosity.
Learn how you can support the School of Dentistry — visit UCSF's giving site