The future of sports medicine at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center looked very bright when the Jameson Crane Sports Medicine Institute opened in 2016.
This state-of-the-art facility is the nation’s largest dedicated multidisciplinary academic sports medicine facility. The addition of this impressive space gave promise to new program growth.
Five years later, that promise has been realized.
The Ohio State University Sports Medicine Institute’s mission is to enhance people’s lives by improving physical activity across the lifespan, and pursuing this mission has facilitated even greater achievements through the synergy of our research, education and patient care programs. The institute has continued its meteoric growth, rising from 11 employees in 2004 to over 300 today.
It now has 100 active clinical research studies and 15 industry-funded clinical trials, and in the past year, faculty members have published 94 peer-reviewed research papers, written 14 book chapters and won several national research awards.
Ohio State Sports Medicine has deepened its relationships with external partners, including multiple local school districts, BalletMet, the Columbus Clippers, Capital University and the Columbus Division of Police. As well, countless students, trainees, researchers, faculty, staff and patients have benefited from the institute’s esteemed programs.
Philanthropy was central to the creation of the Jameson Crane Sports Medicine Institute. Three generations of the Crane family made a gift of $10 million in honor of the institute’s namesake, a 1947 graduate of The Ohio State University and member of the Buckeye football team.
“I cannot imagine a better community partner than the Crane family in general, and Jameson in particular. Their partnership and generosity are at the heart of our ability to expand this program and impact so many lives,” says Christopher Kaeding, MD, executive director of sports medicine.
Jameson (Jim) Crane’s love for The Ohio State University began when he was enrolled at Oberlin College. With admiration, he watched the Buckeyes football team beat the University of Michigan Wolverines in November 1944. After transferring to Ohio State in 1945, he joined the Junior Varsity football team — and eventually the Varsity team.
Jim recalls his greatest college memories as playing in front of 75,000 fans at Ohio Stadium, winning his first Varsity game against University of Illinois, being crowned homecoming king and playing against Michigan in 1947, which happened to be the first televised sporting event for Ohio State. Jim’s graduation from The Ohio State University in 1947 would launch a legacy of three generations of involvement and philanthropy with his beloved alma mater.
Jim and his family never took for granted his opportunity to go to The Ohio State University and play football. Still to this day, Jim and his family display gratitude for that opportunity.
“Ohio State has given us so much,” shares Jim. It was that chance that Ohio State gave to Jim that left him with a feeling of indebtedness. He recalls his first donation to the university: $1, in 1948, as a new alumnus of the university.
Through his family’s gift of $10 million to The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, the dream of the Jameson Crane Sports Medicine Institute became possible.
“I get a great measure of happiness seeing an impact like this made in my lifetime,” says Jim.