A couple have set a record for the university's medical center with a $150 million donation to fight cancer.

A University of Michigan alumnus, Richard Rogel, has joined the recent trend of ultra-high net worth individuals bequeathing major sums to higher education organizations, giving $150 million to the university’s medical school.

Rogel, who made his fortune in medical insurance and founded the Preferred Provider Organization of Michigan, and his wife Susan, will give their name to the university’s cancer center. Their money will finance cancer-focused research, scholarships and a program that takes international researchers to Michigan. Their gift is the largest-ever to Michigan Medicine, the university said in a recent statement. 

Rogel’s father died from pancreatic cancer and he hopes new research underway at U-M will result in earlier diagnosis and better treatments for this and other types of cancer. Both of Susan Rogel's parents died of cancer long ago. Her 50-year-old daughter, Ilene, died five years ago from an aggressive form of lung cancer, the university said.

Such large gifts are part of a recent trend at US universities. As chronicled by Family Wealth Report last fall, a number of large universities in the state of Illinois, for example, such as the University of Chicago, have received multi-million dollar donations, shedding a light on how such large gifts have become a feature of philanthropy from UHNW families, often using new forms of foundation. Last year, for example, Ken Griffin, founder and chief executive officer of investment firm Citadel, donated $125 million to the University of Chicago's Department of Economics.

Big donations don't always have happy outcomes, as evidenced by a recent row concerning the use of funds by a foundation attached to the University of Chicago, as seen here.