The vision and work of Gloria Dei began long before the organization itself was founded. These started with the generous giving of Dr. James Robert and Mary Cade to organizations, friends, causes, and churches in need. In large part, the funds used for these gifts were royalties from Dr. Cade’s invention, Gatorade Thirst Quencher.
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, FL, 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 has conducted important research in the areas of sports physiology, the organic roots of Schizophrenia, and treatments for Autism.