A Visionary Legacy

Paul and Carolyn Lichter make a planned gift to support department chair

Paul R. and Carolyn R. Lichter had met and started dating just months before they found themselves together as first-year students on the University of Michigan campus in 1956, both studying in the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts.

“We go back a long way with the university,” says Paul Lichter, today an active emeritus faculty member. He is the immediate past chair of the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, a position he held for 34 years, and the founding director of the

W.K. Kellogg Eye Center. “ Department of Ophthalmology and Visual

In an act of generosity that celebrates their history and adds to their legacy at U-M, the Lichters have made a planned gift to establish the Paul R. and Carolyn R. Lichter Department Chair of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences. The endowed professorship will be held by the chair of the department, jointly with the F. Bruce Fralick Professorship in Ophthalmology.

“We wanted to help the department in perpetuity, and having our family's name attached to the chairmanship is particularly meaningful to us,” says Paul Lichter. “It will provide income that enables the chair to pursue a wide range of leadership and research activities.”

The gift is part of the Lichters’ lifetime of charitable contributions to U-M, including annual, capital, and endowment gifts to Kellogg, the Medical School, and the University. They also have made bequests to the U-M Museum of Art (UMMA) and the University Musical Society (UMS).

A Shared Journey

The Lichters married after earning their undergraduate degrees, and Paul Lichter went on to complete medical school, a master’s degree, and an ophthalmology residency at U-M. He joined the faculty in 1971 and became chair of the Sciences in 1978. As chair, he pursued a dream of building a comprehensive eye center to advance patient care, research, and education.

Carolyn Lichter played a vital role in the department’s growth, often hosting and advising on events. She also became involved with UMMA, serving as a member of the first docent class and as a member of the Friends of the Museum of Art board.

“I love the arts,” Carolyn Lichter says. “I was a docent at the museum for 18 years. I felt invested, which is one of the reasons I wanted to support the museum through our estate plan. And we love music, so we also decided to make a planned gift to UMS.”

As they think about the transfer of immense wealth in this country as Baby Boomers age, they hope others will consider bequests to U-M and other charities.

“Our goal with our estate plan was to strike a balance,” says Paul Lichter. “We wanted to be generous both to our family and to our community.”