Herbert Herff was an American businessman and philanthropist

Philanthropist

A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...

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A civic and business leader in Memphis, Tennessee

Memphis, Tennessee

Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....

, in 1938 Herbert Herff raised the funds to establish the first blood bank

Blood bank

A blood bank is a cache or bank of blood or blood components, gathered as a result of blood donation, stored and preserved for later use in blood transfusion. The term "blood bank" typically refers to a division of a hospital laboratory where the storage of blood product occurs and where proper...

 in the U.S. South

Southern United States

The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...

 and only the fourth such facility in the entire country. Years later, Herff's foundation was the first in Memphis to provide funding for sickle cell anemia. In 1964 he and his wife, Minnie G. Herff (1899-1988), donated the money to establish the Herff College of Engineering at the University of Memphis

University of Memphis

The University of Memphis is an American public research university located in the Normal Station neighborhood of Memphis, Tennessee and is the flagship public research university of the Tennessee Board of Regents system....

. When he died in 1966, Herbert Herff left the bulk of his estate in trust with the State of Tennessee for the benefit of the University. More than forty years later, the Trust continues to help sustain and expand University programs. Among them are the:

• Herbert Herff Professor of Biomedical Engineering
• Herbert Herff Chair of Excellence in Law – Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law
  Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law
  The University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law is an American Bar Association accredited law school and is the only law school in Memphis, Tennessee. The school has been associated with the University of Memphis since the law school's formation in 1962. The school was named in honor of...
  
  
• Herbert Herff Presidential Law Scholarships
• Herbert Herff Registration Loan Program - established to provide short-term loan assistance to students who have no means of paying their registration fees.
• Herbert Herff Book Loan Program

Herbert Herff was an owner of Thoroughbred

Thoroughbred

The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...

 racehorses

Horse racing

Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...

. Notably, he and his wife raced the colt Tudor Era who in 1959 won the Long Island Handicap

Long Island Handicap

The Long Island Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in November at Aqueduct Racetrack, in Ozone Park, Queens, New York...

, Man o' War Stakes

Man O' War Stakes

The Man o' War Stakes is a Thoroughbred horse race at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Now Raced in July, it is a Grade I event offering a purse of $500,000 and is open to horses three-years-old and up. Run at one and three-eighths mile on the grass, the race sometimes attracts top European horses...

, and the Longfellow Handicap

Longfellow Stakes

The Longfellow Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run each year in early June at Monmouth Park Racetrack in Oceanport, New Jersey. A six furlong sprint for either gender aged three and up, the ungraded Longfellow offers a purse of $70,000 and a trophy.The race, inaugurated in 1952,...

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