09/26/2026
Every day, thousands drive past the soaring "Double Helix" sculpture at UT San Antonio’s Health Science Center, but few know the remarkable Trinity University alumnus behind it.
After a car accident left him paralyzed at 15, Dick Rogers was told he wouldn't live past 20. He proved everyone wrong. He went on to earn his degree at Trinity in 1963, become an internationally recognized sculptor, and co-invent life-changing wheelchair technology.
In 1981, Rogers brought his long-held vision to life: a massive, abstract double helix symbolizing the basis of all life, science, and healing. Today, his masterpiece stands as a powerful monument to both medical progress and the unstoppable spirit of its creator.
Near the main entrance of The University of Texas at San Antonio’s Health Science Center campus, a striking metallic “Double Helix” sculpture greets thousands of drivers each day as they make their way through the South Texas Medical Center — a metropolis of discovery, education, research an...