USA Foundation continues to support Whiddon College of Medicine building construction

Members of the University of South Alabama Board of Trustees tour the Whiddon College of Medicine building. 

Building on its longstanding support of the University of South Alabama, the USA Foundation is providing an additional $9.33 million for construction of the Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine building, scheduled to open in 2027. The Foundation’s Board of Directors approved the gift — consisting of land and cash — at its December meeting. This new commitment follows the foundation’s previous $30 million investment in the project.

“Through their extraordinary and sustained benevolence, the USA Foundation's cumulative commitment to the new Whiddon College of Medicine building now stands at nearly $40 million,” said USA President Jo Bonner. “This is more than a building; it is a vital, strategic investment that will profoundly impact our state and nation for decades to come.”

The latest gift includes $6 million in cash and a 37-acre tract of land on Knollwood Drive north of Government Boulevard valued at $3.33 million. The property will be sold, with proceeds supporting the building project.

“The USA Foundation Board is pleased to provide this additional support for the Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine building,” said Maxey J. Roberts, managing director of the USA Foundation. “Completion of this facility will fulfill the vision of Dr. Whiddon, the University’s first president and founder of the USA Foundation, who recognized the need for a medical school in this region. It was through his tenacity that the medical school was established in 1969, only six years after the University’s founding.”

The total cost of the new Whiddon College of Medicine Building is $230 million. It has been constructed with more than 2,073 tons of structural steel, and is supported by approximately 28,000 linear feet – more than 5 miles – of driven concrete piles.

“The Foundation’s commitment strengthens healthcare in this region through the professionals educated and trained in the Whiddon College of Medicine,” said John McMillan, president of the USA Foundation.

The new College of Medicine building will complete a medical education quad that includes the College of Nursing, the Pat Capps Covey College of Allied Health Professions, the Simulation Center, and the Charles M. Baugh Biomedical Library. When the building opens, more than 500,000 square feet on campus will be dedicated to healthcare education.