Burnett School of Medicine at TCU’s SPT Celebration to Carry Esch Family Name

The Burnett School of Medicine at TCU’s annual celebration of completed Scholarly Pursuit and Thesis (SPT) research projects has been named to honor a Fort Worth family for its generous philanthropic support.

The Esch Family SPT Research Summit will honor John, Grainger, and Gregor Esch, whose endowment gifts are providing annual support to this unique component of the Anne Burnett Marion School of Medicine at Texas Christian University curriculum. The family created the Mary G. Esch and Mary N. Esch Endowment Fund in 2021, in memory of wife and mother Mary Norwood Esch and mother and grandmother Mary Guinn Esch.

“Research in all areas of humanity is vital to the betterment of life; but none is more beneficial or needed than in the medical area,” John Esch said.

John and his two sons have enjoyed a close and passionate relationship with TCU for seven decades. John earned his TCU Economics degree in 1964, and with his wife, Mary, set down roots in Fort Worth that remain strong today. The family’s connection to TCU has also remained strong. While older son Grainger earned his degree from Duke, younger son Gregor earned his 1996 Journalism degree from TCU. A mutual love of athletics, music, and the arts has led the entire family to campus often through the years.

Like many in Fort Worth, the 2019 launch of a new medical school attracted the family’s attention and interest. “TCU has provided Fort Worth with an incredible asset and resource with the rapid development of a quality medical school. The coming physical location in the medical district will magnify the impact even further,” explained John. The value of conducting a four-year research project and thesis particularly caught their eye. “We have the greatest amount of respect for the dedication, perseverance, and discipline that research entails.”