In 1990, colleagues, former students, friends and family established this endowment upon the retirement of Dr. Thomas B. Abbott. After 30 years of service to UF, he retired as professor emeritus of speech pathology. He was also the former chairman of the Department of Communication Disorders, serving as associate dean of the graduate school. He was a consultant for the Kuwaiti government, Westinghouse Health Systems and the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare. He also served in the U.S. Army during WWII. Dr. Abbott was a 1957 alumnus of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and was given the Distinguished Alumnus award from Case Western Reserve University. He passed away in January 2003.