A $3 million gift from veterinarian alumnus names Purdue’s equine sport medicine center

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue University’s Board of Trustees on Friday (April 8) approved the naming of the Donald J. McCrosky Equine Sports Medicine Center. Dr. Donald McCrosky’s $3 million gift will provide research funds now and in the future to continue the groundbreaking work of the center.

“I am pleased to help students learn and to help the advancement of equine medicine,” McCrosky said.

Since its opening in 1996, the center has offered comprehensive evaluations for equine patients suffering from poor performance and pioneered leading-edge equine research. As an education facility, the center continues to provide the highest level of training for future veterinarians and offers high-quality continuing education to veterinarians and the equine community.

Center director Dr. Laurent Couëtil, who specializes in equine respiratory health and treats asthma in horses, said this gift is a “large boost” for his team as it works to understand and treat conditions affecting the equine industry and its athletes.

“Don McCrosky’s gift will advance research in equine health and performance. We anticipate benefits to thousands of horses and their owners in the coming years,” Couëtil said.

Horses have always been a part of McCrosky’s life. Growing up on a farm in Rochester, Indiana, McCrosky learned to drive his father’s team of horses when he was 5 years old. His grandfather, also a farmer, gave him his first horse.

McCrosky pursued his doctoral degree in veterinary medicine at Purdue and graduated in 1968. He went on to open his own practice, which included small and large animals. In 2004, he sold his small-animal practice to focus solely on equine medicine, specializing in reproduction. Beyond his practice, McCrosky and his wife, Lois, own more than 50 racehorses and broodmares, which they race in Chicago and the St. Louis area. In addition to the center naming, McCrosky has named a consultation room at the Shelbyville Equine Center and an outpatient exam room in the new David and Bonnie Brunner Purdue Veterinary Medical Hospital Complex. The complex was dedicated Friday (April 8).

“Purdue was good to me,” McCrosky said of the College of Veterinary Medicine. “I am fortunate to have the ability to give back. I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for Purdue.”

Willie Reed, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine, said, “Don has been a consistent advocate for the college and champion for equine medicine. We are grateful for his generosity and the example he is to future veterinarians. Don’s legacy is setting a new trajectory for equine health.”

About Purdue University

Purdue University is a top public research institution developing practical solutions to today’s toughest challenges. Ranked in each of the last four years as one of the 10 Most Innovative universities in the United States by U.S. News & World Report, Purdue delivers world-changing research and out-of-this-world discovery. Committed to hands-on and online, real-world learning, Purdue offers a transformative education to all. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue has frozen tuition and most fees at 2012-13 levels, enabling more students than ever to graduate debt-free. See how Purdue never stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap at https://stories.purdue.edu.

Writer: Katie Donworth, kedonworth@purdueforlife.org

Media contact: Jim Bush, jsbush@purdue.edu

Sources: Dr. Donald McCrosky

Dean Willie Reed, wreed@purdue.edu

Dr. Laurent Couëtil, couetill@purdue.edu