The late Whiddon helped found the university in 1963 and remained at its helm until retiring in 1998. He was a driving force in establishing the medical school, which welcomed its charter class in 1973.
With the monies from federal and state appropriations as well as the contribution from the USA Foundation, a new medical school building is being evaluated by a group that includes members from the College of Medicine, university administration and facilities. In conjunction with an experienced architect team, they are working on the building design, programming and best location.
A previous version of this story contained outdated information.