In 1960 Isaac Olemberg arrived in Miami from Cuba with only the five dollars the Castro government allowed him to take out of the country. The Olemberg family did not expect to stay permanently, but the Castro regime nationalized his business and confiscated his holdings, making a return to Havana impossible.

In Cuba Olemberg had a shoe store, and so he turned to what he knew—working diligently to regain what he had lost. In the early years, the family of five lived in a small apartment in an area that later was converted into a subsidized housing development. Eventually, Isaac built the extremely successful Olem Shoe Corporation from the ground up.

The Olembergs have pledged a $1.5 million donation to the Department of Neurology at the Miller School of Medicine. An initial $500,000 will be given as a cash gift and the remainder will be a bequest.

Dedicated in honor of Walter G. Bradley, D.M., F.R.C.P., professor and chairman emeritus, Department of Neurology, who has been Olemberg’s physician, this $1.5 million gift will endow the Olemberg Family Chair in Neurology/Neurological Disorders.

This generous gift is the first the Olembergs have made to the Miller School of Medicine, although they have been steadfast philanthropists and magnanimous supporters of their community for many years.

“We are truly proud to be able to honor Dr. Bradley’s legacy by this endowment,” says Olemberg, “and we hope this gift will serve our entire community in the future.”