Why I Give

The Duncan Family’s Commitment to a Healthier Future

 

 

Growing up in the Duncan household, Charles “Carlos” W. Duncan III and his sister, Mary Anne Duncan Dingus, were immersed in a culture rooted in leadership and integrity. Their parents, Anne Smith Duncan and the Honorable Charles W. Duncan Jr., lived purposeful lives guided by a strong moral compass, instilling values that have inspired a multigenerational legacy. 

Longtime Houston Methodist champions, the family recently made a transformational gift through the Duncan Fund, which is led by Anne, Carlos and Mary Anne — amplifying its impact on the Department of Medicine. In recognition of this visionary commitment, the system’s largest department now proudly bears the name of Charles W. Duncan Jr., who passed away in 2022 at the age of 96. Their investment will help redefine clinical care — emphasizing personalized, continuous and preventive approaches — while accelerating innovation through emerging technologies. 

Charles Duncan Jr. led with resolute fairness, sound judgment and a remarkable talent for fostering lasting relationships. A captain of industry, respected investor and distinguished statesman, he was handpicked by former President Jimmy Carter to serve terms as Deputy Secretary of Defense and later Secretary of Energy. His leadership extended to Houston Methodist, where he served decades as a Life Member on the Houston Methodist Board of Directors as well as a member of the Houston Methodist Hospital Foundation Board — leaving an indelible mark on the institution. 

Throughout the years, Charles and Anne — a community leader in her own right — made pivotal gifts toward the Department of Medicine, starting in 2005 with the establishment of the Charles and Anne Duncan Presidential Distinguished Chair in the Department of Medicine, currently held by department chair Dr. Eleftherios Mylonakis. Thanks to their generosity, the Duncan Scholars Program was launched in 2012 and later permanently endowed through their continued support — enabling internal medicine fellows to excel in the fields of nephrology and endocrinology. 

Inspired by the transformative power of medical innovation, Carlos — an active member of the Houston Methodist Hospital Foundation Board of Directors and former Houston Methodist Academic Institute Board member — along with his mother and sister, carry forward The Duncan Fund’s future-focused spirit, helping to shape the landscape of medicine for generations to come.