Missouri medical school receives $2.4 million gift

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) -- The University of Missouri School of Medicine has received a $2.4 million gift to create an endowed chair in oncology.

The school announced in a news release Thursday that the gift from Mark McAndrew was made to honor his late aunt. It will create the Frances T. McAndrew Endowed Chair in Oncology.

Mark McAndrew, of McKinney, Texas, said his aunt always spoke highly of the care she received from the Ellis Fischel Cancer Center. Frances McAndrew died last year.

McAndrew, the retired chairman and CEO of Torchmark, a holding company, has given a total of $3.8 million to the university. He graduated from Missouri in 1975.

A national search to hire the oncology chair will begin soon.