The impact that Mr. Powell’s gift will make is staggering and will serve as a testament to what visionaries can accomplish.
Professor Daniel A. Johnson, MD, MBA
The gift of sight
Sight is often a gift taken for granted, with many never understanding what it means to lose it completely. For Richard M. Powell, the fight to preserve it has become his personal calling.
With a total of $2.3 million pledged in 2022 and 2024 to the Department of Ophthalmology at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, Powell is ensuring that future generations will have access to better treatments and cures for diseases that threaten the gift of sight.
Powell's journey began when his mother, Louise Powell, was diagnosed with macular degeneration, a common eye disease where the central part of the retina deteriorates. This condition significantly impacts daily activities such as driving and reading. Powell recalls how his mother, a former teacher and lifelong reader, looked forward to what should have been her golden years, a part of her life stolen as she gradually lost her ability to enjoy the books she loved most. While she eventually turned to audiobooks, Powell recalls how it never quite filled the void. Passing away at 97, the impact of his mother's declining vision in her final years planted the seed for what would become a transformative philanthropic mission at the university.
Finding a cure to vision loss grew even more personal in 2016 when Powell lost an eye due to complications from pneumonia. Throughout his life, he has seen vision challenges affect countless lives, continuing to fuel his desire to make lives better by supporting research that goes beyond short-term solutions.
Honoring a legacy, offering hope
His connection to the university began in 2019, after he moved to the city and shared his vision for honoring his mother's memory with Donna Block, a longtime supporter of the institution. Block introduced him to Professor Daniel A. Johnson, MD, MBA, and Hebert F. Mueller, Chair of Ophthalmology in the Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine.
I want to help researchers find a cure, not just a Band-Aid. I believe it's a fitting tribute to my mother.
Richard M. Powell
Powell’s commitment to finding a long-term solution began with a $1 million gift, establishing the Louise F. Powell and Richard M. Powell Ophthalmology Endowment in Glaucoma and Retinal Disease in 2022.
The endowment now provides a permanent source of funding to support groundbreaking research, honoring his mother’s legacy while offering hope to those at risk of losing their sight in the future.
In 2024, Powell pledged an additional $1.3 million to expand that vision, strengthening his endowment and supporting scientific advancement. Of that total, $300,000 was designated for the Louise F. Powell and Richard M. Powell Ophthalmology Research Lab Fund, leading the renovation and modernization of the ophthalmology wet lab, a vital training space for future ophthalmologists.
"When considering the average number of surgeries performed by an ophthalmologist in their career, and the number of ophthalmologists and ophthalmology students currently using and that will use the Louise F. and Richard M. Powell Ophthalmology Laboratory within the next year alone, Mr. Powell’s gift is on track to help improve the vision and lives of over a quarter of million people.” says Professor Johnson, MD, MBA.
Through Powell’s generosity, the Department of Ophthalmology is positioned to expand its research capacity and drive innovation in a state-of-the-art environment. His continued generosity stands as both a tribute to his mother and a bold step toward a future where fewer people face the devastating loss of sight.
