The new medical school at Florida Atlantic University is named for his father, Charles E. Schmidt, so Dick Schmidt and his wife Barbara were the honorees at the inaugural Your Medical School Celebration on Jan. 5.

But as the final speaker, a Levitt family $3 million gift caught everyone by surprise at the sold-out event at Royal Palm Yacht Club. It was meant to.

"This brings to fruition a lifelong dream for me," Dr. Morton Levitt, chairman of the integrated medical science department, told nearly 300 people before announcing the Dr. Morton and Cynthia Levitt FAU Medical School Endowment Fund. Forty years ago his late parents asked him to give the charitable gift to a medical school, after they set up a trust in the 1970s, he said in an interview later.

"Isn't this a great way to start a new year?" Jon Kaye, who was chairman of the event with his wife, Bonnie Kaye, said to applause. "You have the opportunity to meet your medical students and raise the funds to keep your medical school competitive."

"I can't tell you how much this means to studentsyour overwhelming support," second-year class president Saima Siddiqi said in her remarks. "Now Palm Beach County is our home, and I plan to stay and practice medicine here."

"It speak volumes this community is aware we personally stand to benefit to have highly trained doctors stay here," the gala's honorary chairwoman Mayor Susan Whelchel said in her remarks, as medical students in white coats assembled in front of the podium. "This event was so successful, they couldn't even get stamps on the invitations"

FAU president Mary Jane Saunders also noted that invites never went out before the gala was at capacity, and the foundation's development director Kari Oeltjen got shout-outs with the Kayes, who own Kaye Communications Inc.

Dr. David Bjorkman, the medical school dean, presented the award to the Schmidts, who received a standing ovation. Dick Schmidt kissed the crystal vase, calling it his "Heisman trophy moment." His father would be "proud to see his name" on the medical school, he said.

Bjorkman said the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine has received 3,064 applications for the third medical school class with 64 openings.

"None of this would be possible without Dick and Barbara Schmidt," Saunders said, noting this is the third college at FAU that carries the Schmidt name.

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Legacies at first FAU medical school gala