Raymond Tye Named Trustee at Schepens Eye Research Institute

BOSTON, May 28 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A. Raymond Tye , former chairman of United Liquors, founder of the Ray Tye Medical Aid Foundation, and prominent Bostonian, has been named to the Schepens Eye Research Institute Board of Trustees. "Ray was unanimously elected by our board, and we are delighted that he has chosen to accept our offer and assume a more active role with the Institute," said Mr. Kennett Burnes , chairman of the Schepens board who extended the invitation to Mr. Tye.

Mr. Tye has long been committed to vision health and research and has served previously both as a board member and an Institute corporator. Mr. Tye was also a long-time friend and supporter of the late Dr. Charles Schepens , founder of the Institute and father of modern retinal surgery.

"I am honored the board is giving me this opportunity to recommit myself to such a worthy cause and to focus my energy on finding new ways to both preserve and restore the miracle of sight," said Mr. Tye. "Many people may be unaware of the prevalence of blinding disorders, but it is a pressing concern in the health care sector. Discoveries at Schepens Eye Research Institute will also be able to translate into other parts of the body, improving treatments for such diseases as Parkinson's and multiple sclerosis, among many others."

During his past tenure as an Institute trustee from 1989-2002 he was a dedicated member of the Executive Committee, the Finance and Audit Committee and the Development and Public Affairs Committee.

A veteran of World War II and Korea, Mr. Tye was educated at Tufts University and Boston University Law School and served as chairman of the board for United Liquors Ltd. for 57 years, before selling the business to the Martignetti family.

In 2002, Mr. Tye and his wife, Eileen, started the Ray Tye Medical Aid Foundation on the occasion of his 80th birthday and to celebrate his lifelong commitment to improving people's quality of life. The foundation's mission is to provide medical care to financially challenged individuals. Since its inception, Tye's Medical Aid Foundation has contributed several million dollars to charities that provide emergency medical care to individuals locally as well as around the globe.

Schepens Eye Research Institute is an affiliate of Harvard Medical School and the largest independent eye research institute in the nation.