It was the summer of 1964, when Lannie Hughes, M.D., met his future wife at UT Southwestern Medical Center. It was his third year of medical school. Linda Hughes, M.D., was in her second.

Their experiences at UT Southwestern launched their careers and inspired their most recent gift to the university: a challenge grant to raise donations for medical student scholarships during the institution’s first-ever Founders Day.

This year’s inaugural event will be held on May 5 to mark the anniversary of UT Southwestern’s creation. It’s an opportunity to celebrate the university’s decades of recognition and invest in the education and training of future health care leaders.

Alumni and friends are encouraged to join in making a difference in the future of the institution by sharing its accomplishments online and considering a donation. The Hughes’ gift provides an opportunity for Medical School alumni and friends to potentially double their impact on student scholarships.

Thanks to the Hughes’ generosity, UT Southwestern will match, dollar-for-dollar, the first $25,000 in gifts to the Founders Day Scholarship for Medical Students. Matching funds will be awarded in the order gifts are received.

For the couple, it’s a chance to give back and create opportunities for another generation of UT Southwestern physicians.

“When we graduated from medical school it was inexpensive. We ended up with no debt,” said Dr. Linda Hughes. “That is simply not true today, as so many kids face enormous debt.”

After graduating UT Southwestern in 1966, Dr. Lannie Hughes specialized in gastroenterology care and received a Bronze Star for his service in the Vietnam War as a battalion surgeon. During his 43-year career, he was a founding member of Dallas Diagnostic Association and the founding physician and Medical Director of Baylor Scott & White - Plano.

Dr. Linda Hughes was one of four women who graduated from UT Southwestern in 1967. A board-certified psychiatrist specializing in adolescent and adult psychiatry, she was the first woman to serve as Medical Director of Charter Medical Center and went on to serve as Medical Director of several psychiatric hospitals and programs. She also served as President of the UT Southwestern Alumni Association.

“Both of us feel fortunate to have attended UT Southwestern, and this gift is very much a reflection of our gratitude,” said Dr. Lannie Hughes. “We’ve always felt the quality of education was just outstanding, and it gave us the vital preparation to go into our chosen practices.”

Match-eligible donations to the Founders Day Scholarship for Medical Students may be made online through May 5.