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Building a Cure: The Brehm Tower Story
Building a Cure: The Brehm Tower Story
Brehm Center exterior, April 6, 2023, by Farhana Parvin.
by Farhana Parvin
A kitchen conversation between a husband and wife turned into what, at the time, was the largest gift to the University of Michigan Health System. Not your typical pace of events. But William and Delores “Dee” Brehm are not your typical couple. Ranking amongst the top ten donors in University of Michigan history (Jesse & Dolan), the pair’s decades of philanthropy has resulted in millions of dollars donated towards scholarships and research across several major campuses in Michigan (“Bill and Delores"). It was that kitchen table conversation that resulted in their most notable contribution, Brehm Tower (“Bill and Delores").
At the age of 19, Dee was diagnosed with type one diabetes (“Delores Soderquist Brehm Obituary”). From then on, she added monitoring her blood sugar and administering insulin shots to her daily routine. Along with her diagnosis, her doctor told her she would not have children, not escape the complications of diabetes, not have a normal life expectancy, and would have diabetes for all her life (“Bill and Delores"). After marrying William in 1952, having two kids, six grandchildren, and long life without complications, Dee beat three of her prognoses, with one left to tackle - curing her disease. It was this motivation that led to what Dee describes as “that kitchen conversation [that] changed the direction of our lives” (“Bill and Delores").
Photograph of William and Delores Brehm digitally displayed in Brehm Center lobby, April 6, 2023, by Farhana Parvin.
With a career in national security, working for the Department of Defense, William was now prepared to protect the most important person in his life - Dee (“Bill and Delores"). Given this mission, he set out to establish a research center that could fulfill her wishes. As a former graduate student in mathematics and physics at the University of Michigan in the 1950s, he turned to his alma mater for help. With a single donation of $44 million, he hoped to fund an institution focused on preventative research and treatment options for type one diabetes (“Bill and Delores").
After three years of construction, the eight-story, 230,000-square-foot tower opened its doors. As an addition to the Kellogg Eye Center, $132 million ($30 million of which came from the Brehms’ donation) funded seven eye care clinics and larger waiting areas for patients (Bomey). And of course, the Brehm Center for Diabetes Research, the primary motivation behind the donation, began its mission. It set out to find what Dee had asked her husband to do that night in the kitchen: “find a cure” (“Bill and Delores").
The name “Brehm” is of South German origin, meaning “‘horsefly’ a derivative of bremen ‘to buzz or grumble’” (“Brehm Family History”). The name's definition focuses on the sound of the insect... and the couple was certainly making noise in the community. In addition to their direct contributions to the University of Michigan, the Brehm Foundation provides full four-year scholarships to students of William’s former school, Fordson High School. As of 2017, 63 Brehm Scholars were able to attend the University of Michigan tuition-free, and in gratitude, the school dedicated a hallway to the pair (Suchyta). Fittingly, the name has historical ties to a “noble family with great influence, having many distinguished branches, and…noted for its involvement in social, economic, and political affairs” (“Brehm Name Meaning”). At Dee’s alma mater, Eastern Michigan University, the Brehm Foundation has donated over $8.5 million towards several programs (“Brehm Family Donates”), including the establishment of the Brehm Center for Special Education Scholarship and Research. It provides tuition support for students studying special education and funds research towards developing best practices in the field (“Delores S. Brehm Endowed”). The Brehm name may have started as a buzz and grumble, but it has evolved into a symbol of generosity and positive change.
Despite making strides in research, Dee was unable to beat her fourth prognosis. Delores Brehm died on April 3, 2022, at the age of 91 (“Delores Soderquist Brehm Obituary”). She wasn’t able to live a life cured of diabetes, but the work the Brehm Center for Diabetes Research continues to do is making progress toward her mission. The endless contributions of the Brehm Foundation, now led by her husband William, highlight her legacy of giving back. In a way, she did beat that prognosis- by living diabetes-free through each and every life she impacted.
Works Cited
“Bill and Delores (Dee) Brehm” Michigan Medicine: Internal Medicine, 19 Apr. 2017, https://medicine.umich.edu/dept/intmed/bill-delores-dee-brehm. Accessed 30 March 2023.
Bomey, Nathan. “University of Michigan's $132 Million Kellogg Eye Center Expansion to Welcome Patients Monday.” AnnArbor.com, The Ann Arbor News, 25 Feb. 2010, https://www.annarbor.com/business-review/university-of-michigans-132-million-kellogg-eye-center-expansion-to-welcome-patients-monday/. Accessed 31 March 2023.
“Brehm Family History” Ancestry.com, https://www.ancestry.com/name-origin?surname=brehm. Accessed 31 March 2023.
“Brehm Name Meaning, Family History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms.” HouseOfNames, 1 Jan. 2000, https://www.houseofnames.com/brehm-family-crest. Accessed 31 March 2023.
“Brehm Family Donates $3M to EMU's Special Education, Music Therapy Programs.” DBusiness Magazine, DBusiness, 13 Dec. 2018, https://www.dbusiness.com/daily-news/brehm-family-donates-3m-to-emus-special-education-music-therapy-programs/. Accessed 31 March 2023.
“Delores S. Brehm Endowed Scholarship in Special Education.” Eastern Michigan’s Delores S. Brehm Endowed Center For Special Education Scholarship and Research. https://www.emich.edu/brehm-center/the-scholarship/index.php. Accessed 5 April 2023.
“Delores Soderquist Brehm Obituary (1930 - 2022) - Ann Arbor, Mi - Ann Arbor News.” Legacy.com, Ann Arbor News, 8 Apr. 2022, https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/annarbor/name/delores-soderquist-brehm-obituary?id=34142913. Accessed 31 March 2023.
Jesse, David, and Dolan, Matthew. “The Top 10 Donors to the University of Michigan.” Detroit Free Press, Detroit Free Press, 27 Aug. 2017, https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2017/08/27/top-10-donors-university-michigan/564994001/. Accessed 31 March 2023.
Parvin, Farhana. Photograph of Brehm Center exterior. 6 Apr. 2023. Author’s personal collection.
Parvin, Farhana. Photograph of William and Delores Brehm digitally displayed in Brehm Center lobby. 6 Apr. 2023. Author’s personal collection.
Suchyta, Sue, et al. “Fordson Honors Brehms for Life-Changing Scholarships and Support.” Press and Guide, Press and Guide, 17 June 2021, https://www.pressandguide.com/2017/05/30/fordson-honors-brehms-for-life-changing-scholarships-and-support/. Accessed 5 April 2023.
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