Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, April 26, 1990 TAG: 9004260229
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: LEXINGTON, KY. LENGTH: Medium
And there are conflicting ideas about why he did it.
Combs, founder of Spendthrift Farm, died of cancer April 7 at age 88. He stipulated in his will that the Emphraim McDowell Cancer Foundation be given an endowment worth $26 million over the next 25 years, on condition that it replace Linda Mauk as director.
In the will, which distributed assets of $6.3 million and an undisclosed amount from two trusts, Combs said, "I am not pleased with the conduct of Linda Mauk. . .."
The will stipulated that Centre College in Danville, which Combs attended for two years, receive most of the money if Mauk remained in her post.
Juliette Combs Trapp, Combs' daughter, said in a statement Tuesday her father made the demand because Mauk allegedly told him last July that his wife's name might be removed from a cancer center if he changed his will.
"This was understandably traumatic to him and was enough to cause him to include the reference to. . . Mauk in his will," Trapp said.
But Mauk, 37, denied Wednesday that she told Combs his late wife's name, Dorothy Enslow Combs, would be taken off one of the buildings in the Lucille Parker Markey Cancer Center at the University of Kentucky.
"There was no threat," said Mauk, who has been the foundation's executive director for 10 years. "That's not a building for us to take a name off of. It belongs to the University of Kentucky. We turned the building over to the university."
Marylou Whitney, a longtime McDowell supporter, threatened last week to resign as foundation co-chairman if Mauk is dismissed. Mauk also has received support in an editorial and several letters in the Lexington Herald-Leader.
"It's nice to know that you have supporters out there," said Mauk, adding that she has received flowers and numerous phone calls from people wanting her to remain in the post.
The foundation was created to generate donations for the Lucille Parker Markey Cancer Center. It has raised $27 million, all from private sources. Combs had been involved in the fund-raising.
Dr. Ben F. Roach, the foundation's chairman, has told the newspaper he would let Trapp's statement "ride on its own merits."
"I don't have any comment," Roach told The Associated Press. "I've probably said too much already."
Brownell Combs II, Combs' son, declined to comment on the controversy after meeting with Roach on Wednesday.
"I'll let my sister's statement suffice," he said.
Roach told the newspaper the foundation's 15 trustees would meet "very shortly" and might issue a statement. One trustee said the meeting could be as early as Friday, but Roach would not confirm that day.
"Nobody enjoyed living more than Leslie Combs," Mauk said. "I hope people look at this and realize how vulnerable people are when facing death.
"There are probably a thousand pieces to the pie. Everything he did [in the will] was impacted by those thousand pieces."
Mauk confirmed that she wrote a letter to Combs in March "because I didn't want him to think I was mad at him and that I didn't want him to be mad at me or Dr. Roach."
Trapp's statement said Mauk's letter tried to mollify the remarks about changing the name of the building.
"Unfortunately, Dad did what he did, and he's no longer here, so there's no way it can be changed," Trapp said.
Lexington lawyer Charles Hembree, who drafted the will, has refused to comment on the matter. He is also one of three trustees of Combs' trust.
Mauk is unsure what she will do.
"I'm stewing on all the options," she said.
by CNB