Helmut Stern is a businessman and art collector. That he still has the time and energy to chair the campaign to expand the Kellogg Eye Center is a testament to the man’s extraordinary drive and commitment to the U-M Health System.

Born in Germany, Stern came to Ann Arbor in 1942 and, through a business associate, became acquainted with Alexander Ruthven, then president of the University of Michigan. From Ruthven, the young Stern learned about the challenges of running a major American university. He also developed a respect for the institution that has led to a vital and enduring philanthropy. Today, that commitment is focused on two of the Health System’s most important projects: the Cardiovascular Center and the expansion of the Kellogg Eye Center.

“I have a pretty broad interest as far as the University is concerned,” says Stern, “but my interest in Kellogg was influenced in part because of my own eye problems. Fantastic work is being done in areas like glaucoma and macular degeneration. But we have an urgent need for additional space in order to be able to attract more high-caliber scientists and to give Kellogg Eye Center physicians and researchers the facilities they need to continue to do the outstanding work they are now doing.”

—WH

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In the Service of Sight

On the Front Lines of Visual Science

‘I have great admiration for the skills and abilities of Kellogg physicians…’