Dr. James Robert Cade & Mary Cade

The founding of Gloria Dei represents an effort to pass this legacy along to the next generation, and is thus administered by the Cade children. Gloria Dei was also established to create a more efficient and manageable process for soliciting, reviewing, and deciding upon grant applications.

Dr. and Mrs. Cade both grew up in Texas and met when Bob was in medical school and Mary was a nurse. During the numerous relocations involved in Dr. Cade’s medical education, Mary Cade gave birth to and cared for the couple’s six children. Eventually, the family settled in Gainesville, Florida, where Dr. Cade has served for many decades as a professor of renal medicine.

Early in his career, Dr. Cade began to study the causes of dehydration among university football players. This research eventually led to the development of Gatorade. Throughout his long career as a nephrologist, Dr. Cade conducted important research in the areas of sports physiology, the organic roots of schizophrenia, and treatments for autism.  

Dr. Cade passed away on November 27, 2007.  Mary Cade continues to reside in Gainesville.  A museum honoring their legacy - the Cade Museum for Creativity and Invention - is slated to open in Gainesville in 2015.