University of Utah Dedicates Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine, Ushering in a New Era of Medical Education University of Utah Dedicates Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine, Ushering in a New Era of Medical Education
Aug 19, 2026
The $215 million facility marks the most critical evolution in the medical school’s history, expanding the University of Utah’s capacity to train the next generation of physicians for Utah and the Mountain West
The University of Utah today celebrated the dedication and ribbon cutting of the new Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine, opening a landmark chapter in the story of Utah’s only academic medical center. The $215 million facility was made possible, in part, by funds from a monumental $110 million joint gift from the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation and the Nora Eccles Treadwell Foundation. The gift also enhances an endowment that will support ongoing excellence in medical education and cardiovascular research for decades to come."I truly believe that a new era of medicine in Utah and the Mountain West starts today," says Spencer Fox Eccles, chairman and CEO of both the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation and the Nora Eccles Treadwell Foundation. "This world-class facility and endowment will benefit countless patients through the medical students who learn here, the renowned faculty who teach here, and the researchers who innovate here to find better treatments and life-changing cures. Our family is so proud to partner with the University of Utah and other generous donors to bring this vision to life. I can say with great confidence: the best is yet to come."
The ribbon cutting event for the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine at the University of Utah took place on August 19, 2026
University of Utah Health (U of U Health) includes the state’s only academic medical center, training approximately two-thirds of physicians in Utah and providing patient care for nearly 10% of the geographic area of the continental United States. Spanning more than 210,000 square feet, the eight-story Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine will serve as a pillar of learning not just for the university, but for the entire state and region.“The Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine has the capacity to educate more students, accelerating the number of medical professionals entering professions that are facing shortages in our state and across the country,” says Bob Carter, MD, PhD, A. Lorris Betz Executive Vice President for Health Sciences and CEO of U of U Health. “Our medical school is a resource not just for Utah, but throughout the region. Having a new state-of-the-art home base for medical students to receive their education—and put that into practice at training sites throughout the Mountain West—is critical to our mission.”The building’s flexible design allows the school to provide leading-edge education today while remaining agile and responsive to future needs. The thoughtfully designed spaces foster interdisciplinary collaboration across the health sciences. More than 500 students from 26 clinical and basic science departments, including the College of Nursing and College of Pharmacy, will have access to virtual, simulation, and experiential training opportunities. Adaptive classrooms can evolve with changing medical knowledge, and the Dumke Advanced Simulation Center and Anatomy Lab will provide best-in-the-nation experiential learning.
The Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine at the University of Utah
“This once-in-a-generation building was designed to advance innovation in medical education, and we are thrilled to welcome our students through its doors,” says Kristina Callis Duffin, MD, MS, dean of the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine. “We look forward to continuing to educate the best and brightest medical students who will carry medical sciences and patient care forward.”The new facility expands the school's ability to continue to provide nationally recognized medical education, cutting-edge research, and highest caliber patient care. The building’s Global Health Pavilion, which honors Russell M. Nelson and his groundbreaking contributions to medicine, will provide a central hub, enabling improved collaboration that will lead to a higher quality of health care to address persistent global health disparities.“Today we are stepping into an exciting future for medical education across our region,” says University of Utah President Taylor Randall. “The university is fortunate to have benefited from the leadership and generous support of the Eccles family for more than 70 years in all areas of the university. They are always willing to step forward to address the most critical needs, and we are proud to share this moment in partnership with Spencer Fox Eccles and his family. There is no truer Utah man than Spence Eccles.”Spencer Fox Eccles first announced the transformational gift in 2021. The Eccles Foundations’ gift of $110 million provides support for the new medical education building; an endowment for enhanced student scholarships, recruitment of top-flight faculty, innovative medical curriculum and education programs; and research funding focused on cardiovascular science and heart disease.The Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine continues the Eccles family's long-standing commitment to advancing health care and education at the U, a tradition that started in 1951 when Spencer S. Eccles led the effort to build a medical school and hospital on the University’s campus. This generous legacy also includes the Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library, the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Critical Care Pavilion at University Hospital; the Spencer F. and Cleone P. Eccles Health Sciences Education Building; the Nora Eccles Harrison Cardiovascular Research and Training Institute; the Emma Eccles Jones Research Building; the George and Dolores Eccles Institute of Human Genetics; and innumerable programs to enhance care.
The Nora Eccles Harrison Forum serves as a gathering space designed to foster collaboration and connection among medical students and learners, faculty, and staff.
WATCH: Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine Dedication and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
About University of Utah HealthUniversity of Utah Health is the state's only academic health care system, providing leading-edge and compassionate care for a referral area that encompasses 10% of the U.S., including Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, and much of Nevada. A hub for health sciences research and education in the region, U of U Health has a $531 million research enterprise and trains the majority of Utah's physicians as well as more than 1,670 scientists and 1,460 health care providers each year at its Colleges of Health, Nursing, and Pharmacy and Schools of Dentistry and Medicine. With more than 27,000 employees, the system includes 12 community clinics and five hospitals: University Hospital, Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah, Craig H. Neilsen Rehabilitation Hospital, University Orthopaedic Center and Huntsman Mental Health Institute. In addition, the new Eccles Hospital and Health Campus in West Valley will open in 2028. For 16 straight years, U of U Health has ranked as one of the top performing U.S. academic medical centers in the rigorous Vizient Quality and Accountability Study.
About the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles FoundationSince 1982, the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation has furthered the philanthropic interests of its namesakes through charitable grants throughout the state to improve the quality of life enjoyed by the people of Utah. The Foundation's legacy of statewide support—now totaling more than $1 billion and counting—represents a significant investment in the economic vitality and future strength of the state of Utah and the Intermountain West.[SF5] The foundation's grants are awarded in five focus areas, including Arts & Culture, Social Services, Education, Health & Wellness, and Preservation & Conservation.A son of pioneering Utah entrepreneur and industrialist David Eccles, George S. Eccles was a leading figure for more than half a century in the banking industry in Utah and nationally. He played a key role in founding and guiding First Security Corporation and served as its Chairman and CEO for nearly 40 years (1945-1982). George and his wife, Dolores, were active civic volunteers whose generous involvement and support made a meaningful difference in Salt Lake City and throughout Utah and the region. Today, the foundation continues to enrich the lives of all Utahns under the leadership of its Board of Directors, including Spencer F. Eccles, Chairman and CEO; Lisa Eccles, President and COO; and Robert M. Graham, Vice President, Treasurer and General Counsel.
About the Nora Eccles Treadwell FoundationSince 1978, the Nora Eccles Treadwell Foundation has been a generous and consistent supporter of medical research in Utah and California, awarding more than $150 million to further basic research in cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and arthritis. Nora Eccles knew the importance of basic medical research to advance our understanding of the science of the human heart. This led to her support of basic research that has contributed significantly to the world's understanding of cardiovascular diseases, leading to improved treatments and therapies.The foundation has been particularly supportive of University of Utah Health, which has benefitted from more than $82 million in grants, including more than $56 million to the Nora Eccles Harrison Cardiovascular Research and Training Institute (CVRTI). Over its 52-year history, CVRTI investigators have contributed seminal findings in electrocardiography, the mechanisms and treatments of cardiac arrhythmias, and heart failure.A daughter of pioneering Utah entrepreneur and industrialist David Eccles, Nora took an active interest not only in medical research but also the fine arts, and she was an accomplished ceramicist in her own right. As chair of her foundation, she remained closely involved with the CVRTI's work until her passing in 1978. She was succeeded in that role today by her nephew, Spencer F. Eccles, who is joined on the Foundation's board by Katie A. Eccles, Lawrence M. Harrison, Kathryn C. Econome, Robert M. Graham, and Kenneth W. Spitzer.
About Spencer Fox Eccles & University of Utah HealthMore than 50 years ago, the Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library was the first significant capital project at the University of Utah Health to be funded by the Eccles family. Named for Spencer Fox Eccles’ father, the library helped establish a philanthropic legacy that Spencer Fox Eccles has dramatically expanded through decades of leadership and charitable giving. His support, alongside that of the Eccles family and associated foundations, has advanced the University of Utah Health’s mission in medical education, research, and patient care spanning genetics and cardiovascular research, nursing, ophthalmology, orthopedics, pharmacology, critical care, and more.The University of Utah has long been a special place for Mr. Eccles. [An Ogden, Utah native, he arrived on campus in the early 1950s and quickly adapted to campus life. His success as a four-year letterman and all-American on the U's ski team and his active participation in the Beta Theta Pi fraternity set an early precedent for his later renown as the quintessential Utah Man. It was also at the U where he met Cleone Peterson of Fairview, Utah, who would become his wife of more than 54 years before her passing in 2013. Sharing Cleone's unwavering spirit of community, love of education, generosity and her rural Utah roots, these tenets have become the cornerstones of Mr. Eccles' philanthropy.Hailing from a long tradition of generosity, he once wrote, “I was fortunate to be born into a family that believes in the importance of giving back and doing our best to leave things better than we found them.”For nearly two decades, Mr. Eccles led the Eccles family's banking empire at First Security Bank until its historic merger with Wells Fargo in 2000. Throughout his career, Mr. Eccles and his businesses have become recognized for focusing on going above and beyond in delivering exceptional quality and service.“Since 'Giving 110%' was a legacy theme during my leadership of First Security Bank, our foundations' combined $110 million grant takes on special meaning for all of us," Mr. Eccles says. "It's an investment in the future of our fellow citizens—particularly in the medical students today and those to follow—who will have opportunities to practice medicine in innovative ways never before imagined, committing themselves '110%' to improving and saving lives!”
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Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine (SFESOM)
