Emory Public Health Benefactress Buried

By Odette Yousef

Atlanta, GA – The funeral of Grace Crum Rollins was held today. Rollins and her late husband were major patrons of Emory University's School of Public Health, which bears their name.

WABE's Odette Yousef has more.

1991 was the year that Mrs. Rollins and her husband, Wayne made their first gift to Emory's School of Public Health. It was also the year that Wayne Rollins, an Atlanta business magnate, died.

Dr. James Curran, dean of the Rollins School of Public Health, says Mrs. Rollins was committed to continuing their support:

CURRAN: Her generosity and the generosity of the Rollins family and Foundation have allowed us to become one of the largest schools of public health in the United States, now with well over 5000 alumni in 110 countries in all 50 states

Curran says the Rollinses gave $80 million total to the school of public health. Despite her wealth, he says Grace Rollins valued the simple things:

CURRAN: We took her on a tour of the school, and showed her the new things that were going on in the Grace Crum Rollins building, and she took a special interest in the flowers and the plantings that we had, because she had a real interest and talent in that area.

Grace Crum Rollins was 98.

Odette Yousef, WABE News.