Cleveland-based Case Western University has announced a gift of $20.5 million from the estate of alumnus Donald J. Goodman and his wife, Ruth Weber Goodman, to support blood cancer research at the university's schools of medicine and dentistry.

The gift from the $70 million fund the Goodmans established at the Cleveland Foundation already has been used to establish two endowed professorships in cancer therapeutics, while $3 million will be allocated to cardiovascular research. According to his family, Donald Goodman, a 1945 graduate of the dental school and a longtime supporter of the university, credited the CWRU School of Medicine with prolonging his life for six years through an experimental treatment for acute myeloid leukemia.

"It is always gratifying to see a patient who has directly benefited from the application of cutting-edge medical research and who wishes to recognize the value of this through such a wonderful philanthropic commitment," said Pamela B. Davis, dean and vice president for medical affairs at the Case School of Medicine. "In addition to making a substantial investment in our faculty...the endowment income will ensure that the school remains a pace-setter in educating world-class physicians and advancing the cure and treatment of disease."