For Friends of the University of K ansas • summer 2011 • kuendowment.org
VISIONS OF KU brian goodman
Ahh, summertime on Mount Oread — where seldom is heard a discouraging word, the skies can be cloudy all day and the wind can blow in two directions at once.
building a greater university
KU Endowment’s mission is to solicit, receive and administer gifts and bequests for the support and advancement of the University of Kansas.
Summer 2011 I volume 4 I number 3
Let’s be social
Features
DEPARTMENTS
12 The Lady Bountiful
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UP FRONT
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PRESIDENT’S NOTE The power of women
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EVERY GIFT MATTERS Women Philanthropists for KU reach a milestone
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ACROSS KU
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WHY I GIVE
This year marks the 150th anniversary of the birth of one of KU’s most influential donors.
Elizabeth Miller Watkins left an indelible mark on KU, the city of Lawrence and KU Endowment.
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Fiat lux et musica
I am KU Great results from innovative pharmaceutical research
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GREATER KU FUND University Scholars Program: 30 years, 600 alumni
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The Faithful Love at first sight, 54 years later
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KU VOICES One donor + one mentor + one scholar = beautiful music
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AMONG FRIENDS
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PAST AND PRESENT A memorial you can drive on
The beauties of Bales Organ Recital Hall, built and maintained by donor support.
“Drop-dead gorgeous,” “glorious,” “a religious experience” — music reviewers who attended the hall’s opening celebration.
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5 Ways to be part of the cure
There’s strength in numbers.
24 Valentino Stella, University Distinguished Professor of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, has a history of turning discovery into practical, lifesaving payoff. COVER: Elizabeth Miller Watkins, KU’s “Lady Bountiful.” See story page 12 The pooled efforts of donors builds big-time support for KU’s effort to achieve National Cancer Institute designation.
photo courtesy of University archives
david f. mckinney / ku university relations
Our core values Passion for KU The generosity of alumni and friends influences the very fabric of KU, helping the university advance the frontiers of knowledge. We are dedicated to serving the university and helping it achieve its aspirations.
Partnership with donors Our donors empower us to accomplish our mission. We pledge to faithfully administer their gifts, adhere to their philanthropic intentions and respect their requests for privacy.
Perpetual support The long-term vitality of KU represents our ultimate, unwavering goal. We strive to wisely invest funds and steward property, with the goal of achieving the greatest possible assurance of long-term financial support for the university.
People-centered approach
KU’s central campus stands about 180 feet above the surrounding area.
Our team of employees, trustees and volunteers guides our present and shapes our future. We seek to attract and develop the best talent, value each individual’s unique contributions and celebrate diversity as a strength.
ways to support ku 100% of your gift benefits the area of your choice at the University of Kansas. Online Giving — You may make a gift securely online using your debit or credit card. Visit kuendowment.org/givenow. Gifts of Stock — By donating appreciated securities or mutual fund shares, you can provide a lasting contribution while receiving tax benefits, such as capital gains tax savings. Real Estate — Your gift provides a convenient way for you to enjoy a charitable deduction based on the current fair market value of your property, and it can reduce the size and complexity of your estate.
Give by mail — Gifts made by check should be payable to KU Endowment and mailed to: KU Endowment P.O. Box 928 Lawrence, KS 66044-0928 Estate Planning — To remember KU in your will or estate plan, be sure to name The Kansas University Endowment Association (our legal name) as beneficiary. Our federal tax i.d. number is 48-0547734. If you already have named KU Endowment in your estate plan, please contact us so we can welcome you to the Elizabeth M. Watkins Society. We also offer life-income gifts that provide income and immediate tax benefits. Call our director of gift planning at 800444-4201 during business hours, or visit kuendowment.org/giftplanning.
SUMMER 2011 I VOLUME 4 I NUMBER 3 KUENDOWMENT.ORG CHAIR, BOARD OF TRUSTEES A. Drue Jennings President Dale Seuferling Senior Vice President, Communications & Marketing Rosita Elizalde-McCoy Editor Charles Higginson Contributing Editors Lisa Scheller Katie Coffman Jessica Sain-Baird Jess Skinner Art DIRECTOR Chris Millspaugh gr aphic designer Melissa Meyer
CONTACT US KU Endowment Communications & Marketing P.O. Box 928 Lawrence, KS 66044-0928 785-832-7400 or toll-free 800-444-4201 Email: kugiving@kuendowment.org kuendowment.org POSTMASTER: Send address changes to KU Endowment, P.O. Box 928, Lawrence KS 66044-0928 KU Giving is published three times a year by KU Endowment, the private fundraising foundation for the University of Kansas. You are receiving this magazine because you support KU. We welcome your comments, suggestions and questions.
- FOUNDED 1891 -
up front
An early match
A health clinic conducted annually in Nicodemus, Kan., by students and staff of the KU Medical Center was the cover subject of our Winter 2011 issue. Since publication, we’ve heard from the originator of the clinic, Norge W. Jerome, Ph.D., professor emerita of Preventive Medicine and Public Health.
The Spencer Museum of Art recently matched a $1 million challenge grant, well ahead of deadline. In 2008, the museum announced the challenge grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Since then, nearly 80 KU alumni and friends have responded. The result: The match was met months ahead of the September 2011 deadline. The Dolph Simons Jr. family, of Lawrence, made the capstone gift that completed the match. Other lead gifts included $200,000 from the Anschutz Foundation of Denver; $100,000 from John T. Stewart III and his wife, Linda Bliss Stewart, of Lawrence and Wellington, Kan.; and $100,000 from Lavon Brosseau, of Concordia, Kan. The funds created the Andrew W. Mellon Academic Programs Initiative, which is fueling the Spencer’s increasing involvement in interdisciplinary exhibitions and educational programs throughout all areas of the university. In addition to the $1 million challenge grant, the Mellon Foundation provided $200,000 to support the program while matching funds were being raised. The Spencer used a portion of these funds to recruit Celka Straughn, director of academic programs, to develop the initiative and ensure that projects are relevant to interests of students and faculty.
lisa scheller
The play’s the thing
Norge Jerome
KU Giving, KU Endowment P.O. Box 928, Lawrence, KS 66044-0928 Email: kugiving@kuendowment.org Fax: 785-832-7493 We welcome your comments on our magazine and invite you to share your KU experiences with our readers. Please include your name, address, email and daytime phone. Letters may be edited for length and clarity; we assume letters are intended for publication unless the writer indicates otherwise.
courtesy of spencer museum of art
She credits the inspiration to establish the clinic program to a stage play. In 1996, Jerome was serving as Interim Associate Dean of Minority Affairs at the School of Medicine. She attended a performance of “Flying West,” by Pearl Cleage, at Kansas City’s Unicorn Theatre. It tells the stories of four African-American women, homesteaders who settled around Nicodemus, and their struggles with both a harsh physical environment and an intrusive greater society. “Nicodemus is a special place, indeed,” Jerome wrote. “If Nicodemus is viewed as a Respite Site and Heritage Home, I thought, it could also be viewed as a place that generates health. Thus, the seed for the Health Clinic germinated. I am pleased that it has taken deep roots.” Jerome established the clinic in 1997 and continued it through her tenure, which ended in 1998; it has carried on to this day. We apologize for omitting her enduring legacy from the original story.
Write to us
Celka Straughn KUENDOWMENT.ORG |
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PRESIDENT’S NOTE
The power of women lisa scheller
O
ne hundred and fifty years ago, as the Civil War was breaking out, one of KU’s most generous donors of all time was born: Elizabeth Miller Watkins. We celebrate her legacy in this issue of KU Giving. While she was unable to attend KU, her generosity transformed the university and has enabled KU Endowment to benefit many generations of students to this day. In today’s dollars, her gifts to KU would be worth more than $32 million. The sesquicentennial of Watkins’ birth has prompted me to examine the role women play in philanthropy today. Recent studies show some differences between men and women in their private giving habits. One is that women are less impressed with the status quo and more interested in change. It’s not hard to understand why: Women were not always welcome in board rooms, CEO suites or even in academic leadership roles. According to a recent study by the Women’s Philanthropy Institute at the University of Indiana, women are more likely to be drawn to causes to which they can closely relate, causes that truly improve people’s lives. The same study stated that women will inherit 70 percent of the wealth transfer in this country, mostly because they are likely to live longer than men. Areas of particular interest to women include the lives of children and young people. That’s what motivated Elizabeth Watkins to leave the bulk of her estate to KU. She wanted to make sure future students, particularly women, had the opportunity to acquire the college degree that eluded her.
Sheri Hauck, Kay Brada and Cathy Curless model the scarves they received to honor their service on the board of Women Philanthropists for KU.
While men like to be informed about the causes they donate to, women demand it. Studies show that they want to get involved with an organization before making a gift, and that relationships play a big role in their decisionmaking. That’s the power of groups like our own Women Philanthropists for KU, which we cover on page 5 of this issue. At KU Endowment, we are seeing more women engaged in philanthropic decisions, and serving as board members and as members of our campaign steering committee. Change is coming, and women will be a big part of it. Whether through individual gifts or joint gifts with their spouses, women will exercise their power to influence the future of this great university.
Dale Seuferling, President
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EVERY GIFT MATTERS
Reach goal. Set new goal. Repeat. WP4KU fund hits a benchmark: $100,000
following the presentation that she would endow the fund. Hoglund challenged fellow board members to match Hare-Schriner’s gift, and they did. The board set a new goal, which was reached earlier this year: to raise the fund to $100,000. Cathy Daicoff, current Advisory Board co-chair, said, “The KU Women for KU Women Fund is a wonderful example of how a small amount of giving can change a life.” — Jess Skinner
WP4KU for you, too
For more information about Women Philanthropists for KU, visit kuendowment.org/wp4ku or contact Pam Smith, psmith@kuendowment.org or 785-832-7441.
susan stevens
Sometimes a simple idea turns into something big. In this case, $100,000 big. In the fall of 2004, a task force of KU Endowment staff began an initiative to highlight the importance of women donors to KU. They created a mission statement and formed a volunteer advisory board with 33 members. Women Philanthropists for KU, also known as WP4KU, was born and became the official women’s organization for KU Endowment. One of the advisory board’s first efforts was to create a fund that would help female KU students. Sally Hoglund, WP4KU Advisory Board co-chair at the time, asked all members to donate $250 to the fund, which was appropriately named the KU Women for KU Women Fund. Now, 325 individual gifts later, it has become a $100,000 endowed fund at KU Endowment. The KU Women for KU Women Fund provides emergency one-time financial support (up to $500) to fulltime seniors and graduate students to assist in their academic and professional growth. Sixty-six women have benefited from the fund since its establishment. Hoglund said, “There are times when you just need a one-time, small something to get you over the hump.”
In addition to helping young women in need get back on their feet during critical times in their lives, WP4KU board member Sally Hare-Schriner said the fund also was created as a way to reach out to younger donors and teach them about philanthropy. The Emily Taylor Women’s Resource Center on KU’s campus awards the funds. After having established the fund in 2004, WP4KU made endowing it a priority. Endowed funds are invested to generate spendable resources indefinitely, and must reach $30,000 to be managed this way. In 2006, Hare-Schriner donated the money needed to endow the fund. Hare-Schriner said she heard two things at a WP4KU presentation that motivated her to make the donation. The speaker encouraged women to make monetary gifts during their lifetimes so that they could enjoy giving while living, and gave this advice: If you want something done, just do it. HareSchriner told Hoglund immediately
Katherine Rose-Mockry, director of the Emily Taylor Women’s Resource Center, met Angela Lindsey-Nunn at a WP4KU meeting in 2010. Lindsey-Nunn had received support from the KU Women for KU Women Fund. KUENDOWMENT.ORG |
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ACROSS KU mark mcdonald
Tom and Jill Docking, co-chairs; Kurt and Sue Watson, chairs; and Mark and Stacy Parkinson, co-chairs.
Fifty hands on the wheel Some of KU’s most generous supporters have agreed to serve on the Steering Committee for the next campaign for the University of Kansas. They held their first meeting March 11. This group will guide the campaign over its duration, expected to be more than five years. “Together with them, we are embarking on a journey that will transform KU’s future,” said Kurt Watson. He and his wife, Sue, are campaign chairs. Committee members include: Kurt and sue watson, Andover, Kan., chairs
Jay Howard, Austin, Texas
Tom and Jill Docking, Wichita, Kan., co-chairs
Drue Jennings, Prairie Village, Kan.
Mark and Stacy Parkinson, Potomac, Md., co-chairs
Brian and Buffy King, Leawood, Kan.
David Booth, Austin, Texas
Joe and SUSAN Morris, Leawood, Kan.
Joe and Jean Brandmeyer, El Paso, Texas
Charlie and Anne Rhoades, Mission Hills, Kan.
Linda Zarda CooK, Concord, Mass.
Linda Ellis Sims, Independence, Mo.
Ed and Helen Healy, Eastborough, Kan.
MiCHAEL Shinn, Highland Heights, Ohio
Forrest and Sally Hoglund, Dallas, Honorary members
Tom Wiggans, Olathe, Kan.
Pushing the boundary A side effect of training physicians in a large metropolitan area such as Kansas City is that medical students grow accustomed to city life. After graduating and serving residencies, they and their families often think city life is just fine. But life can be just as fine in less metropolitan areas. Smaller cities offer a richness of life for the entire family: open space, slower pace, a
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| KU GIVING | SUMMER 2011
sense of community, opportunities for civic engagement. Towns with fewer stoplights have a warmth and charm of their own. And often, these towns are clamoring the loudest for physicians. Experience and statistics show that physicians tend to settle in areas similar to those in which they attended medical school. That’s why the KU School of Medicine decided to stretch
its boundaries to Salina, creating a fouryear medical school site, and to expand the existing two-year program at the KU School of Medicine-Wichita to a full four years. This fall, eight medical students will start their first of four years of classes in Salina, while eight first-year medical students will begin coursework in Wichita. The goal is to address the shortage of physicians in Kansas, where 90 of the state’s 105 counties are medically underserved. Private giving is the key. A recent $1 million gift from Salina Regional Health Center will provide support for faculty and operations during the Salina program’s first four years. Other gifts for Salina have included $75,000 from Russell physician Earl Merkel and his wife, Kathleen, and $225,000 from the Salina Regional Health Foundation. “I think educating young physicians for the future of north-central and
courtesy of ku study abroad
Students in the 2009 German Summer Language Institute program catch some rays in the town square of Eutin, Germany.
For German immersion western Kansas, or for any nonmetropolitan area of the state, is an important piece of solving the state’s physician shortage,” said Micheal Terry, CEO of Salina Regional Health Center. In Wichita, donors jumped on the fundraising bandwagon, contributing $2.7 million to expand the School of Medicine-Wichita. That initial wave of gifts, which crested in less than four months, included $800,000 from the Kansas Health Foundation. While fundraising continues, these private gifts have provided lifesaving momentum to the two efforts to expand the offerings of the School of Medicine. In doing so, KU is stretching its boundaries, from Colorado to Missouri and Nebraska to Oklahoma, to make accessible health care not just a dream — but a reality — for all Kansans, no matter where they live. — Lisa Scheller
As a KU student in 1968, Carl C. Krehbiel had a surprise during a summer language program in Germany. “I had intended simply to complete my foreign language requirement and be done with it,” he said. “Instead, it was a life-changing experience. It raised my interest in Europe and international affairs. My life would have followed a different course if I hadn’t gone.” Recently, Krehbiel, of Moundridge, Kan., gave $1.65 million to encourage other KU students to undertake similar study. The scholarships he created will support students attending KU’s German Summer Language Institute programs in Holzkirchen and Eutin, Germany. The program in Holzkirchen, about 20 miles south of Munich, was established in 1961. Eutin, one of Lawrence’s sister cities, is in northern Germany and has hosted KU students for more than 40 years. The Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures offers the two eight-week summer language institutes. Students live with German families and study German language, literature and culture. Classes are taught in German, and students are encouraged to speak German for everyday purposes also.
They participate in cultural and social events and travel to nearby points of interest such as Berlin, Bonn, Munich or Dachau. The Holzkirchen group can spend a weekend hiking the Bavarian Alps. “The language institutes are a superb way for KU undergraduates to connect with the world,” Krehbiel said. “I hope that, with scholarships available, more students will be able to go.” Krehbiel graduated from KU in 1970 with degrees in German and International Relations. He served 20 years in the Army, becoming a Green Beret and a decorated Vietnam veteran. Later posted to Heidelberg, he studied at Munich University as an Olmsted Scholar. He retired as lieutenant colonel. He took over the family business, Moundridge Telephone Co., in 1992. He represented the 74th District in the Kansas House of Representatives from 1999 to 2006. His parents, Floyd H. and Kathryn Krehbiel, both graduated from KU in the 1940s, and his grandfather, also Carl C. Krehbiel, graduated in 1913. In 2008, he gave funds to build KU’s 12th scholarship hall, named for his parents. — Charles Higginson KUENDOWMENT.ORG |
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WHY I GIVE
David Learned
Drs. Herbert and Car
ol Lindsley
To pass opportunity on Donor: Drs. Herbert and Carol Lindsley, Leawood, Kan. Gift: $20,000 to the School of Engineering; $10,000 to the School of Medicine Purpose: To establish the Betlack Engineering Scholarship in the School of Engineering, which will provide financial aid to deserving and talented students; and to further research and education in rheumatology. Why We Give: “There are many qualified students who need scholarship assistance in order to attend college. Many years ago, as a KU undergraduate, I was one of those students, benefiting from a Watkins scholarship. So at this point, since many family members are in the engineering field, including my father and brother after whom the scholarship is named, we would like to pass this type of opportunity on to engineering students. “In addition, we are both in the rheumatology field, and we wanted to make a gift to the School of Medicine that furthers research and education in musculoskeletal ultrasound.” — Carol Lindsley, M.D.
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The best physicians they can be Donors: David K. Learned, M.D., Kenner, La. Gift: $51,500 outright, with estate plans to contribute an additional $1 million Purpose: To establish the David K. Learned, M.D., Scholarship for medical students. His estate gift will augment the endowed scholarship fund. Though Learned grew up in a family in which no one had gone to college, he announced, at the age of 7, that he was going to be a doctor. He stuck with his plan and graduated from the KU School of Medicine in 1969. Learned recently received a surprise — a thank-you letter from the inaugural recipient of his scholarship, medical student Brandon Custer. “I am living almost entirely on student loans,” Custer wrote. “This makes your generous sponsorship even more appreciated and valuable to me. It will greatly alleviate some of the immense financial burden I will incur over the next year.” Why I Give: “I received a long handwritten letter today from a young man who got one of my first scholarships. He told me about himself and how helpful the scholarship was. That got at what I wanted this thing to do. It really meant something. “I hope the students who receive this scholarship eventually repay it, to keep it in perpetuity. I hope they will be the best physicians they can be and love their patients. They don’t have to publish papers or become world known. They just have to become good doctors who don’t just take care of a disease but take care of a human being.” — David Learned
Richard Paegelow
For a global KU Donors: Richard Paegelow, Glendale, Calif. Gift: $380,000 over the past 10 years Purpose: Primarily to benefit study abroad and international programs. Paegelow’s two undergraduate semesters in Costa Rica began a lifelong appreciation for international experience. He majored in Spanish and Latin American Area Studies. He won a Fulbright Scholarship for graduate study in Ecuador and earned a master’s degree in political science from KU. Today, he owns Inline Translation Services. He regularly provides scholarships for the Costa Rica Early Start program, which places students with host families in San Jose, Costa Rica, for four weeks before their official program begins. Students take intensive Spanish classes at the Escuela de Filología at the University of Costa Rica. The program prepares students to handle courses taught entirely in Spanish and benefit from the study abroad experience. In addition, Paegelow has provided additional funding for the Stansifer Scholarship Fund, which provides scholarships for graduate students specializing in Middle America studies, and more recently scholarships for KU’s newly launched Global Scholars Program. Why I Give: “Over the years, especially the more recent years, I’ve really been using the Spanish and language skills in my job every day. I felt like it was such a worthwhile experience that I want to encourage other students to study abroad for a semester or two and have that immersion-type experience.” — Richard Paegelow
Thomas P. O’Sullivan
y ppor ts Stud KU Fund su s. The Greater any other KU program m Abroad and
The perfect fit
To honor the memories
Donor: Thomas P. O’Sullivan IV Foundation
Donor: Luther A.R. Hall, Ph.D. chemistry ’50, Gainesville, Ga.
Gift: $25,000 for research, and $10,000 to promote colorectal screening
Gift: $10,000
Purpose: To honor Thomas P. O’Sullivan, D.D.S, who died from colon cancer at the age of 50. His family and friends sponsor an annual golf tournament in his name, as he was an avid golfer. They chose to donate to The University of Kansas Cancer Center to support the research of Dr. Shrikant Anant, the new Associate Director of Cancer Prevention and Control.
Purpose: To support the Greater KU Fund, in honor of the cherished memories he holds from his time in Lawrence. This fund is flexible in its use. Gifts to it allow the university to direct funds where no other support exists and enhance everything that makes KU a world-class institution. Why I Give: “The year 2010 was a difficult one for me. I lost my wife. I had some health issues. I came very near to the end a couple times last year. After getting two stents in my heart, I feel like a new man. But I’m getting old. And as I get older, I grow more and more fond of my memories from the University of Kansas. “I went to three colleges, and KU was my favorite. My four years of living in Kansas were the happiest times of my life. It was where I met my wife. We married in Lawrence. It holds many of my dearest memories. This is just my way of honoring that place in my heart, and to benefit those who will make their own treasured memories at KU.” — Luther Hall
Why We Give: “We felt we gained traction after meeting Dr. Anant and his team. He seemed to have the research focus we were looking for. It is important to us to keep the money here in our community, if possible. We hope and pray that KU will receive National Cancer Institute designation because of how it helps our entire city. Being a part of this endeavor, we feel honored to work with people who will influence the city and cancer research.” — Pete Hartwick, foundation treasurer “KU has the big picture and offers the greatest opportunity to maximize on funds given to them. We wanted something that aligned with my husband’s values and those of our foundation, and Dr. Anant’s research is doing this. It’s very exciting working with all the caring people we have met on this path!” — Marina O’Sullivan, Tom’s wife and foundation president
Laura Wood
For top Kansas scholars Donor: Stanley Kelley Jr. estate Gift: $50,000 Purpose: To provide a four-year scholarship for a Summerfield or Watkins-Berger Scholar at KU. These scholars represent top students from Kansas high schools. Kelley grew up in Detroit, Kan., and was a Summerfield Scholar at KU in 1944 and 1945. After serving in the U.S. Army during World War II, he returned to KU, graduating Phi Beta Kappa in 1949 and earning a master’s degree in political science in 1951. In 1957, he joined the faculty of Princeton University, where he was emeritus professor of politics when he died in 2010 at the age of 83. Kelley’s grandniece, Laura Wood, a KU senior majoring in East Asian Languages and Cultures, recently presented a check to KU Endowment representing a portion of her uncle’s estate gift to KU. Why We Give: “My uncle deeply appreciated the education he obtained at the University of Kansas. While the majority of his professional career was spent at Princeton University, he dearly loved KU and was always proud to call himself a Jayhawk.” — Laura Wood
KUENDOWMENT.ORG |
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WHY I GIVE FEATURED GIFT
The cause of a lifetime Getting behind NCI
Teresa and Tom
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Walsh
KU GIVING | SUMMER 2011
Tom and Teresa Walsh have adopted a special cause in a big way, and they are not alone in offering support. The couple, of Leawood, Kan., recently gave $2 million to support KU’s effort to gain designation as a Comprehensive Cancer Center by the National Cancer Institute. The gift came in part from them and in part from their family’s foundation. It will support patient care and faculty recruitment, which is the top fundraising priority in the quest for NCI designation. Teresa Walsh co-founded Silpada Designs, which Avon purchased in 2010. Tom is an entrepreneur who has a degree in business from KU. Two Kansas City foundations recently joined forces to support the initiative. The Victor E. and Caroline E. Schutte Foundation and the John W. and Effie E. Speas Memorial Trust together contributed another $2 million in support of the effort to achieve NCI designation. The Schutte Foundation and Speas Memorial Trust gifts will establish a faculty chair in blood-related cancers. These gifts were arranged through the foundations’ trustees: David Frantze and Bank of America, co-trustees of the Schutte Foundation, and Bank of America, trustee of the Speas Foundation. These gifts together bring the total raised for the NCI initiative to more than $51 million since 2009. Officials aim to raise an additional $9 million before September 2011, the deadline for NCI application.
“Our vision of creating a nationally recognized cancer center in Kansas City is closer to reality,” said Dr. Roy Jensen, director of The University of Kansas Cancer Center. “Thanks to the support of these and many other donors, we are conducting breakthrough research and providing some of the best cancer treatment in the nation.” Gift: $2 million Why We Give: “Our ultimate goal is to help the cancer center achieve NCI designation, not only for cancer patients, but for our entire city. It will raise the level of care in Kansas City, boost our economy and enhance people’s lives. It’s one of those special causes that you come across once in a lifetime.” — Tom Walsh Gift: $2 million Why We Give: “As past chair of the national board of directors of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, I am passionate about providing top-notch treatment and achieving cures for people with blood cancers. This gift will fund the recruitment of an eminent researcher who will build on the national reputation KU already has in this area, particularly in cancer drug development.” — David Frantze, co-trustee, Victor E. and Caroline E. Schutte Foundation
New at ku lisa scheller
A new building designed to house the Center for Design Research goes up around Tucker Trotter, president of Dimensional Innovations. The company recently gave $25,000 to support the center’s work.
A place to work together Design firm makes a gift of innovation Near a well-known stone barn on west campus, an entirely contemporary structure rose this spring. It will house the Center for Design Research. An interdisciplinary incubator for innovation in the design of products and services, the center will encourage collaborative research by KU faculty and students in architecture, design, engineering, business and other schools and departments. The center recently received its first major boost, a $25,000 gift from the Kansas City-based environmental design firm Dimensional Innovations. Tucker Trotter, president of Dimensional Innovations, earned a bachelor’s degree in industrial design at KU. “We firmly believe in supporting the Center for Design Research and assisting in the development of innovation studies and techniques,” Trotter said. “The center will further improve the quality of graduates of the university and, ultimately, it will add to the competitiveness of our region, state and nation.” Greg Thomas, professor of design and director of the Center for Design Research, spearheaded the project from concept to construction. He said the partnership with Dimensional Innovations is the first of many he hopes the center will establish. “Our relationship with Dimensional Innovations is a winwin,” Thomas said. “For the company, it’s an investment in
the students, cultivating their talent and a future workforce. For us, it’s access to the company’s resources — people and machines we normally could only dream of utilizing.” Thomas said the center would develop products that are progressive, possible and profitable. “Projects must have a meaningful impact on the daily lives of ordinary people,” he said. The center is working with the City of Lawrence, for example, to establish electric vehicle charging stations around the city, and with the KU Transportation Research Institute on transportation and energy-related projects. The center’s site is on the former Chamney dairy farm. In 1970, KU Endowment purchased the farm, parts of which have been used by students in design and ceramics. Students in Studio 804, a program in the School of Architecture, Design and Planning, designed and are constructing the building. It’s intended to be their fourth LEED-platinum structure and the first in Lawrence. Their goal is to complete construction by late June. — Katie Coffman
Get in on innovation To join Dimensional Innovations in supporting the Center for Design Research, contact Molly Paugh, mpaugh@kuendowment.org or 785-832-7428.
KUENDOWMENT.ORG |
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Scan of an actual letter.
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KU GIVING | SUMMER 2011
By Jessica Sain-Baird and Charles Higginson
uperlatives come easily when speaking of Elizabeth Miller Watkins: first, most influential, most inventive. The thing is, they’re accurate. This year marks the 150th anniversary of her birth — a time to recall the life and interests of a woman who, by her focused generosity and foresight, fundamentally transformed the University of Kansas, KU Endowment and the city of Lawrence. Her life was characterized by achievements unusual for a woman at the time. She arose from modest if not humble origin, went to work young, married late and helped manage one of the largest fortunes in the country. She inherited that fortune and spent the next 20 years giving it away in very deliberate, strategic ways. The following pages sketch the life story of the woman many knew as “Lady Bountiful,” summarize the gifts she made both while living and by bequest, and spell out the effects of her giving that have lasted to this day.
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izzie Miller, 11 years old, moved with her family from New Paris, Ohio, to Lawrence in 1872. The Millers moved into an apartment above a grocery store on what is now the 700 block of Massachusetts Street. Lizzie’s father, Valentine, was a doctor and came to be highly regarded in Lawrence. Elizabeth started preparatory school, an alternative to traditional public high school, on the KU campus. Though she never attended college and left preparatory school at age 15, her relationship with the University of Kansas was just beginning. Immediately after leaving school, Elizabeth began working at the Watkins Land Mortgage Co. First an office clerk, then assistant, eventually she became the personal secretary for Jabez Bunting (J.B.) Watkins, founder of the company and of Watkins National Bank. J.B. drew support from investors back East and in Europe, and he accumulated one of the largest fortunes in the West. But Lawrence did not embrace him: He reportedly was a heavy drinker and, perhaps worse, a Democrat. It is impossible not to wonder about their relationship, equally impossible now to resolve the questions. She was 16 years younger than he. They traveled together on business — virtually unheard of at the time. And in 1909, after working together for nearly 35 years, they married quietly in New York City. He was 64, she was 48. The Lawrence Daily Journal called the announcement “the most startling that has been made in Lawrence for several years.” Some didn’t believe they had married, so they had a second, public wedding in Lawrence. In 1912, Elizabeth and J.B. purchased land from Kansas’ first governor, Charles Robinson, near Fraser Hall and built a new 26-room home, The Outlook. Elizabeth often sat on the porch and greeted students walking up the hill to class. As early as 1915, they were quietly providing support to deserving KU students, a practice they would continue for years. They remained deeply involved in business, frequently taking business trips, together and separately. The records that remain offer few glimpses into their personal lives; they give the distinct impression that Elizabeth and J.B. were all business, all the time.
“A work to do for humanity”
J.B. died in 1921 without a will, effectively leaving his entire $2.8 million estate to Elizabeth ($34.6 million in today’s dollars). Over the next two decades she became the most significant benefactor in the history of the University of Kansas, and she always said she was carrying out plans she and J.B. had discussed in detail. A letter she wrote a few months after he died, while his estate was in dispute, hints at both her backbone and her intent: “I will never compromise in the world. … I do not care for JB’s property on account of myself beyond keeping up
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my very comfortable home in its present style, as JB wanted me to do, but I have a work to do for humanity and I feel this property will help me to carry out the plans we have talked over so many times.” “Elizabeth was moved by those who demonstrated need and who were willing to work to better their situation,” says Sean Williams, grandson of Dick Williams, Elizabeth’s longtime business manager, friend and executor. “She believed if you feed an ambition and a work ethic, you can change the world.” She decided to change the world by concentrating on two efforts: providing medical facilities to benefit all, and providing educational opportunities to benefit young women who, like her, have ambition and ability but lack the means to attend college.
The scholarship hall experiment
Her first major attempt to smooth the way for young women was something of an experiment. In 1926, she gave land near The Outlook and $75,000 to build Watkins Hall, named in honor of J.B. It was her first public gift to KU and the country’s
Left: A lantern brightens the entrance to Watkins Hall. Below: Watkins Women of the mid-1970s pose with pictures of their benefactors — J.B. even merits a couple of kisses.
first scholarship hall. The concept of a scholarship hall, where residents do their own housework and cooking to keep costs low, was original, and she was not entirely convinced it would work. Elizabeth provided nice silverware, furnishings and linens for the residents, and taught them etiquette. Inspired by the concept of scholarship halls, Eleanor Roosevelt visited Watkins Hall in its early days. The experiment worked. Eleven years later, Elizabeth gave another $75,000 to build neighboring Miller Hall, named in honor of one of her brothers. Today, Watkins and Miller Scholarship Halls are home to nearly 100 women each year. Scholarship halls still provide some of the most affordable housing on campus. KU now has 12 scholarship halls — six for men and six for women.
For students’ health
In 1908, a makeshift student hospital opened in a rented house off campus. The hospital changed locations five times over the next 20 years. All of that changed in 1932, when Elizabeth gave $175,000 to build Watkins Memorial Hospital, just down the street from Watkins Hall and The Outlook. “With a properly equipped hospital and a corps of health experts here on campus and at the service of every student,” Elizabeth said, “they may learn how to care for their health, upon which their future success and happiness would largely depend.” The hospital employed numerous physicians, nurses, physical therapists and other health professionals. Patients could undergo minor surgery, and the hospital had about 50 beds. Elizabeth also gave $41,000 to construct Watkins Nurses Home next to the hospital in 1937. The home provided housing for 12 hospital staffers.
Whence the Watkins wealth It’s easy to see Jabez Bunting Watkins as a ruthless, laissezfaire 19th-century capitalist, but, so far as the truth can be known now, it’s not that simple. He was certainly driven, opportunistic and shrewd; he also had a great deal of initiative and creative imagination. And he was compassionate, as long as compassion coincided with smart business. Born in 1845 near Punxsutawney, Penn., he earned a law degree from the University of Michigan. He moved to Lawrence in 1873 and founded the Watkins Land Mortgage Co. It was his main business interest, and at first he used local banks to finance the enterprise. But J.B. Watkins did not blend in well in Lawrence. Ill will and jealousy developed against him in the local business community, and he had to establish his own bank as a tool to continue operation of the mortgage company. The company was headquartered on the third floor of a building he built at 11th and Massachusetts streets in Lawrence; the bank occupied the second floor. He made sure it was a massive, spectacularly well-built edifice. Watkins drew much support from investors on the East Coast and even in Europe, and the mortgage company
Top: The original Watkins Hospital served students for 42 years. Now named Twente Hall, it houses the School of Social Welfare. Bottom: The hospital had an operating room equipped for minor surgery.
grew to have offices in New York City, Dallas and London. Another office in Lake Charles, La., managed the development of 1.5 million acres of raw land Watkins bought in that area around 1890. He is credited, with others, with the development of rice agriculture in the area. His other business ventures included railroads, canning, timber, newspaper publishing and sugar. The company established tenant farmers in 22 counties in Kansas. The management policy was somewhat flexible; farmers in trouble were allowed to pay only their loan interest and stay on the land. J.B. respected the farmers’ hard work, and it was in his interest for them to succeed. An inventory of the company’s property estimated that only 2 percent of the land came through foreclosure. He died in 1921. His wife, Elizabeth, distributed his estate carefully, to the immense benefit of the city of Lawrence, the University of Kansas and KU Endowment.
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J.B. and Elizabeth Watkins built their home, The Outlook, in 1912. Since 1939, nine KU chancellors have lived there.
By the late 1960s, enrollment had far outgrown the hospital. A new, larger hospital named Watkins Memorial Health Center opened on the south end of campus in 1974. The original hospital was renamed Twente Hall and now serves as the home of the School of Social Welfare. Watkins Nurses Home, now known as Twente Annex, has served multiple purposes; today the School of Social Welfare houses several programs there.
Municipal munificence
Elizabeth Watkins gave two significant buildings to the city of Lawrence, one of which still stands. In 1929, she supplied the funds to construct a 50-bed building for Lawrence Memorial Hospital. An addition to the north, also built by her donation, expanded the total number of beds to 75 in 1937. These buildings were demolished in 1999. Also in 1929, she gave the building that had housed the Watkins land company and bank to the city. It was used as City Hall until 1970. Now restored, it houses the Watkins Community Museum of History. The museum says the building itself may be its most significant exhibit. It was considered one of the most impressive buildings west of the Mississippi when it was built, and it still testifies to J.B. Watkins’ insistence on only the finest materials and the highest quality of workmanship.
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A quiet, atypical life
Elizabeth apparently did not socialize much, although she sometimes entertained lady friends at The Outlook and maintained a membership in the Ingleside Club, a reading group. She was seen around town in her V-16 Cadillac, usually alone but for her chauffeur; a succession of students held this coveted position over the years. She kept a close eye on her remaining business interests, working still with Dick Williams as her business manager. The Williams family probably were her closest friends. The local business and social leaders who had avoided her husband did not warm to her once he was gone, and it’s not apparent that she cared. Not that her civic generosity went unnoticed. In February 1935, the local American Legion gave her a gold medal to recognize her contributions to Lawrence. The Kansas City Star quoted her: “I suppose that now, since the American Legion has brought me into so much prominence with its wonderful award, I cannot keep hidden any longer. So, if you are bound to write about me, just say that in making these gifts I am simply carrying out the wishes and plans of my late husband, whose genius and industry accumulated this estate.” She died June 1, 1939, at the age of 78. Chancellor Ernest H. Lindley said, “She not only had sympathy and imagination, but great practical business judgment…. The university
mourns not only a great benefactress but a beloved friend.” Many stores in downtown Lawrence closed for part of the day of her funeral as a gesture of respect. When she died, the value of the gifts she had made to KU was $366,000 ($5.8 million in today’s dollars). Gifts to the city totaled another $375,000 ($5.9 million today). But in a very real way, she was just getting warmed up.
Lizzie’s legacy
Bountiful bequest
• Land acquisitions doubling the size of campuses both in Lawrence and at the Medical Center in Kansas City, Kan.
If anyone ever made an estate plan, Elizabeth Watkins did. She knew she would have a large estate and gave a great deal of thought to what to do with it. She had served several years as a trustee of KU Endowment and was convinced of its effectiveness. Years before she died, she signed an agreement setting out terms for the passage of real estate to KU Endowment, stipulating that Dick Williams would continue as manager of the properties as long as he cared to do it. As for the uses of income from her bequest, she stated explicitly that, with a few exceptions, she would leave those decisions to the good judgment of KU Endowment trustees. Her will included specific bequests for KU’s benefit. She gave The Outlook, with money for its improvement, to the state, to become the Chancellor’s residence. She established trusts for Watkins Hospital and Miller and Watkins Halls at the First National Bank of Kansas City (now Bank of America). She gave all her Kansas real estate outside Douglas County to KU Endowment, for unrestricted support of the university. This last item may not sound like much, but it amounted to more than 23,000 acres in about 20 counties, and it transformed KU Endowment overnight. Today, the land is valued at $16.3 million and generates about $1.4 million in agricultural and mineral income every year. The Watkins funds have supported literally dozens of activities at KU (see “Lizzie’s legacy”, at right, for a partial list). Like the many women who have made the most of an opportunity at Watkins or Miller hall, KU Endowment accepted a gift from Elizabeth Watkins and used it to advantage, to build a greater university. Thank you, Lady Bountiful, and happy birthday! Sources: University Archives, Spencer Research Library Historic Mount Oread Friends Mary Burchill, Lawrence historian Sean Williams, grandson of Dick Williams KUHistory.com/KU Memorial Unions Archival photos, Spencer Research Library, University of Kansas Libraries Contemporary photos, courtesy Doug Koch, Jaclyn Lippelmann / KU University Relations
Over the years, Watkins funds have been used to support just about every activity connected with the university: scholarships, professorships, real estate acquisitions, buildings, equipment, research support, etc. In addition to the five buildings still in service, her legacy lives all across KU campuses in ways big and small. It has helped to pay for:
• The prestigious Watkins-Berger Scholarship • Danforth Chapel; it was the largest single source of support for construction • Stephenson, Pearson and Sellards scholarship halls; it partially funded their construction • The Templin Bell, the largest in the Campanile, which tolls the hours • The Westminster chimes in the Campanile, which ring the quarter-hours • The case-study method of education was developed with support of a Watkins grant • Study abroad program development • Faculty grants for research abroad • The feasibility study that led to the Greater University Fund • The Watkins Staff Revolving Fund, which provides interest-free loans to cover staff travel expenses (a big morale booster)
Watkins values, then and now year given
value then
Watkins Hall
1926
$75,000
$.94 million
Watkins Hospital
1932
$175,000
$2.83 million
Miller Hall
1937
$75,000
$1.15 million
Watkins Home
1937
$41,000
$.63 million
The Outlook
1939
$25,000
$2.5 million
Campus support
1939
$520,000
$8.3 million
Kansas real estate
1939
$230,000
$16.3 million
$1.14 million
$32.65 million
Totals
current equivalent*
*Values of The Outlook and real estate are current appraisals; other values reflect inflation of original values, not necessarily actual current values.
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Fiat lux et musica The study of organ and church music at KU began modestly in 1867, and today has grown into one of the largest programs in the country. Private donations transformed the program about 15 years ago when Dane and Polly Bales gave more than $1 million to construct the Dane and Polly Bales Organ Recital Hall and the exceptional instrument it houses. The Hansen Foundation also made a substantial contribution toward the hall. After making their original gift in 1993, Dane and Polly Bales made further gifts that established a professorship and a scholarship in organ and support for maintenance of the hall and instrument. Dane Bales, a 1941 business alumnus, died in 2001. Polly Bales, a 1942 music graduate, lives now in Lawrence. Photos by Earl Richardson See more at: kuendowment.org/bales
Left: The organ was built by Hellmuth Wolff & AssociĂŠs, Laval, Quebec. Right, top: Organ pipes range from two feet to 32 feet in length. Right, middle: The playing mechanism includes hundreds of handmade parts, actuated by keys capped with oxbone and ebony. Right, bottom: Peter Thompson, then Dean of Fine Arts, designed the stained glass windows using rough-hewn, bubbly glass.
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By Rosita McCoy Illustrations by Barry Fitzgerald
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OK, we know. You’ve heard that The University of Kansas
Cancer Center is trying to achieve the gold standard — designation as a National Cancer Institute cancer center. You’ve heard about the need to raise millions of dollars to reach that worthy goal. Perhaps cancer has touched you or someone you love. For whatever reason, you’re one of the thousands who want to help — but you just can’t make a million-dollar gift. At least not right now. No matter. This list shows five ways you can help the cancer center. Your gift, of any size, will make a real difference — right here, at KU.
Be a face in the crowd Many fundraising events, each with its own flavor, support the cancer center. One with a lot of flavor is the Tour de BBQ cycling event, Saturday, Oct. 1, 2011, in Kansas City. Participate as a cyclist, volunteer, coordinator or team leader. World-famous barbecue restaurants will delight participants with their fare at the rest stops. It’s a delicious way to have fun, meet people and help a great cause. The Livestrong Army of Kansas City is organizing this third annual event, powered by a crew of passionate volunteers. Proceeds will benefit the cancer center and the Lance Armstrong Foundation. tourdebbq.com
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Play tag Your purchase of a Driven to Cure license tag supports the Midwest Cancer Alliance, a network of hospitals spanning western Missouri and all of Kansas. Revenue generated by the license plates helps cancer patients get top-notch care, access clinical trials, navigate the maze of cancer treatments and stay closer to home, whether they live in the smallest towns or the largest cities. The cost is just $50, and it’s tax-deductible. kuendowment.org/licenseplate
Banish worries Cancer diagnosis and treatment often bring stress and anxiety for patients and their families. Your support can help patients focus instead on healing, comfort and recovery. They can stay close to home and receive top-notch treatment at the region’s largest outpatient cancer facility, the Richard and Annette Bloch Cancer Care Pavilion in Westwood, Kan. Contributions support myriad resources, such as the Brandmeyer Patient Resource Center, prevention programs and clinical trials. You can even dedicate a treatment room at The University of Kansas Hospital in honor or in memory of a cancer patient. kucancercenter.org/cancercare
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Fund a fact-finder Competition for world-class researchers is intense, but bringing them into our laboratories is essential to earn NCI designation. Your gift, combined with gifts from other donors, can support research conducted by scientists at the cancer center. Already, they are working on clinical trials of a promising treatment for leukemia, and of a treatment for ovarian cancer using a drug developed by KU researchers: Nanotax. cancer.kumc.edu/cancer-research-and-education
Talk the walk Knowledge is power. An army of informed citizens can spread the word: The University of Kansas Cancer Center deserves to be one of about 65 places in the country where patients can receive the most advanced cancer treatment and access to clinical trials. It means the possibility of reducing cancer deaths by an average of 25 percent, plus bringing more than 9,000 jobs and $1.3 billion in annual benefits to the region. Engagement begins with knowing the facts. kucancercenter.org or facebook.com/kucancercenter
Need more ideas?
Visit kuendowment.org/cancer, or contact Shawn McDaniel, smcdaniel@kuendowment.org or 913-588-5239, or Becky Schieber, rschieber@kuendowment.org or 913-588-5961.
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brian goodman
I am ku
Long-term investment
University Distinguished Professor of Pharmaceutical Chemistry Valentino J. Stella earned his Ph.D. from KU in 1971 and joined the faculty in 1973. In March, the American Pharmacists Association awarded him the 2011 Takeru Higuchi Research Prize, the highest international academic award in the pharmaceutical sciences. In April, Gilead Sciences, Foster City, Calif., gave $1 million for a professorship named in Stella’s honor. Given time, the combination of resources and ingenuity can produce great results. Consider our success in formulating drugs — turning raw chemicals into forms that can be administered to patients to treat cancer, neurological diseases and other diseases. A certain chemical may show promise, but it can’t be tested without a delivery system. The pharmaceutical chemist determines delivery, so that the drug can be injected, swallowed, rubbed on the skin, with maximal effectiveness and safety and minimal unintended effects.
Time Drug discovery and delivery require long-term investment. Clinical trials include several phases, and each can take years. Basic development, refinement, manufacture and ultimate approval by the Food and Drug Administration don’t happen overnight. An example: I applied to patent an antiseizure drug in 1979. It’s now the drug of choice for emergency treatment of grand mal seizures, but it didn’t reach the market until 1996 — 17 years later.
Money Like most investments, this one requires money. KU Endowment has helped along the way, often as a partner with the university and other entities. Professor Takeru Higuchi was recruited here in 1967 as a Regents Professor, largely funded by KU Endowment. The next year, he recruited me here, and my doctoral research was funded in part
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Valentino Stella is known for turning pharmaceutical research to practical use.
by KU Endowment. Higuchi, along with visionaries Professor Ed Smissman and Dean Howard Mossberg, used KU Endowment resources wisely to make our School of Pharmacy what it is today. More recently, KU Endowment has provided land for west campus buildings. The new School of Pharmacy building allows for expanded enrollment, and nearby buildings bring our labs into the current century. The Bioscience and Technology Business Center is specifically designed to increase KU research collaboration with industry and move research into the marketplace.
Ingenuity It starts with good thinkers. Higuchi, often called “the father of physical pharmacy,” was known for scientific brilliance and interpersonal skills. He established world-class academics here and combined academic research with an entrepreneurial approach in a new way. Now, we do our best to carry on that legacy. We have made a good marriage of research and startup businesses. We teach our students both the science and the entrepreneurial spirit, so they know how to protect the technology they discover.
Lifesaving results The approach has produced results. Research Professor Roger Rajewski and I patented a compound that makes some insoluble drugs soluble; they could not previously be given by injection. It’s now used in five FDA-approved life-saving drug products. The drug of choice to treat multiple myeloma was formulated in our lab. Two experimental drugs currently in Phase 1 clinical trials at KU Medical Center
evolved in our bioscience labs, as did an experimental formulation of an old but limited drug used in stem cell transplants. A KU team, led by our laboratory, discovered a new anesthetic approved in 2008. We’ve helped develop a drug to treat rheumatoid arthritis and one for AIDS, which is estimated to save more than a million lives annually. For almost 40 years, the National Cancer Institute has contracted with our labs to formulate drugs for its exploratory discovery process. In that time, the process has moved 17 small-molecule drugs onto the market or into clinical trial — and we at KU have had a hand in formulating seven or eight of them.
Worthwhile investments Ours is now probably the premier pharmaceutical chemistry program in the country, if not the world. Our School of Pharmacy receives more National Institutes of Health research funding than all but one other pharmacy school. It’s a great place to work and teach. We hope to be the number-one producer, not just of promising raw chemicals, but of new and effective drug therapies, primarily for treatment of neurological diseases and cancer. To that end, I would like to see a building added to the west campus biosciences complex: the Kansas University Institute for Basic and Applied Research in Neurosciences and Cancer. The joint-venture model has become a great economic engine, for the university, for Lawrence and for the region. It is good to see how well the investments made by the state, KU and KU Endowment, starting back in 1967 and ’68, have paid off. — Valentino Stella
GREATER KU FUND
600 scholars and counting Chuck France / ku university relations
A milestone in mentoring KU’s Honors Program hosted a banquet in late January to celebrate the 30th anniversary of one of the university’s premier scholarship programs. The University Scholars Program taps 20 sophomores each year for a three-year mentoring relationship with a faculty member, a one-semester interdisciplinary seminar and scholarship support for five semesters. Today, 600 alumni of the program are scattered across the state, continent and globe — many in research or academic positions or serving in leadership roles. A founder of the program, Deanell Tacha of Lawrence, addressed students and faculty at the banquet, including almost all the faculty who had taught
“Use this great university as a fertile field to begin the growth of your lifetime. Never, never has this world needed it more.” — Deanell Tacha
the seminar over the years. Tacha, a KU Endowment Trustee, recently retired from the 10th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals to become dean of law at Pepperdine University. “A great university is more than what’s written in brochures and entrance requirements,” Tacha said. “It is the fabric and fiber of our devotion to each other and our commitment to excellence.” An honors student at KU in the 1960s, by 1981 she was KU’s vice chancellor for academic affairs. She and Francis Heller, professor emeritus of law, jointly proposed the University Scholars Program and worked to secure funding from the Greater KU Fund at KU Endowment. Heller, who directed the honors program in its early years, lives now in Colorado.
Deanell Tacha, a co-founder of the University Scholars Program, greets new scholar Danse Bi, a biochemistry and chemistry major.
This year’s 20 new scholars attend an interdisciplinary seminar titled “Modernity,” taught by John GronbeckTedesco, professor of theatre. The first seminar, titled “Map of Knowledge,” was patterned after a course offered at Oxford University in Britain. It was repeated six times in the program’s first 10 years.
TO SUPPORT THE GREATER KU FUND contact Judy Wright, 785-832-7330 or jwright@kuendowment.org, or visit kuendowment.org/greaterku.
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The faithful
Lifetime paths Dean and Ginny Graves met as KU students. Dean was president of Student Union Activities and spotted Ginny while checking out the SUA carnival performances. Costumed in a barbershop quartet striped jacket and shorts, she was lip-synching words to
“Mr. Sandman” and other hit songs. It was love at first sight. They married within days of graduating. Ginny’s bachelor’s degree was in art. Dean earned a bachelor’s in architectural engineering and a master’s in architecture in 1963. Over the years spencer research library, university of kansas libraries
they have made almost 100 gifts to KU, most for the Spencer Museum of Art and the School of Architecture, Design and Planning. “Ginny and I have always ranked KU memories and values at the top of our idealized and very personal view of the important things in our lives,” Dean said. “We have always felt that giving back to those who gave us so much, no matter how infinitesimal, is the least we could do. Our lifetime interests began at KU: architectural preservation, collecting art and supporting the arts. For many of our gifts, we have followed in the path of Ginny’s parents, Mildred Lee Ward and Paul Ward, in their love of art and their close relationship with Spencer Museum.” They recently moved to Tucson, Ariz., after living many years in the Kansas City area. Dean has practiced architecture with an emphasis on preservation. Ginny worked first in art education, then developed an interrelated arts program for the Johnson County libraries. Together, they created a community-building curriculum called the Center for Understanding the Built Environment and have conducted workshops nationally and abroad. Ginny was a third-generation KU student, and the family’s Jayhawk tradition has continued. Their daughter, Paula Adams, graduated from KU in 1982. Their grandson, Jack Adams, is a KU sophomore. Like his grandparents, he is active in campus life, and he recently participated in a winning skit at Rock Chalk Revue. — Lisa Scheller
Dean and Ginny Graves walk hand in hand through Marvin Grove in 1957, shortly before graduating from KU.
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KU VOICES
Passing the baton Most people who create endowed funds name them after themselves or a family member. Sue Wilkie Snyder had a different idea. Snyder earned a Doctor of Musical Arts at KU in 1988. Her primary mentor was Phyllis Brill Munczek, longtime faculty member and now professor emerita of music. In 2008, Snyder and her husband, Drew, Washougal, Wash., created a $100,000 endowed fund to support a music scholarship and named it in Brill Munczek’s honor. This year, the scholarship was awarded to Stephen Dagrosa, a first-year Master of Music student. Originally from Hadden Heights, N.J., he graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with a BFA in voice performance and a minor in music education.
What brought you to the University of Kansas? Brill Munczek: This job brought me here. I came here in 1969 and worked here for 33 years. I taught voice, vocal performance, French vocal literature and
French diction for singers. I didn’t know anything about Kansas or the University of Kansas when I was looking for a job, except I knew there was a wonderful music therapy program here. When I was an undergrad, that’s what I was interested in, although I didn’t end up doing that. Snyder: I had graduated from the University of Maryland with my master’s degree. My husband was transferred to Topeka, and I thought, “Well, I’ll give this school a try.” So I auditioned to come to school at KU. I worked on my doctorate here. Dagrosa: I came to Kansas to study with Dr. John Stephens. My voice teacher at Carnegie Mellon, as well as my choral and opera director, had worked with Dr. Stephens and loved him. He’s now my primary faculty mentor, being not only my vocal teacher but also director of the opera I was in at the beginning of this semester, “Ruddigore.”
university, but the people. The job itself was extremely rewarding, and I’ve watched the department just grow and grow. And now it’s a school. Snyder: It was the best college experience of my life, it truly was. It went very well. And Phyllis was the major factor in that, along with the rest of the faculty. They were just wonderful, so professional and top-notch in all of their areas. Dagrosa: My experience thus far at KU has been wonderful. I have been given a lot of performance experience, have learned a whole bunch and have been able to make a lot of friends.
Please share your thoughts about the scholarship.
Describe your KU experience. Brill Munczek: I came here and just really fell in love with it. Not just the Susan Stevens
Phyllis Brill Munczek, Drew Snyder and Sue Snyder recently attended a Lied Center performance together.
Snyder: I got serious about it about three years ago, though it had crossed my mind earlier. I wanted to give money to the university in music, and I didn’t know what the options were. The Endowment fundraiser for music came out to our area to meet with KU alumni. We had a lengthy meeting, and after talking about a lot of things, I decided on endowing a scholarship. And I decided I wanted to name it after Phyllis. Brill Munczek: I think you should have put your name on it. Snyder: No, I really wanted your name on it. Brill Munczek: All right, we won’t argue about it anymore. Dagrosa: Without this scholarship, I would not have been able to afford to come to KU. Because of this, I have been able to grow and learn as a musician, honing my vocal craft. My voice has grown immensely since I began my studies this past fall. I feel very honored to have received this scholarship, let alone being one of the first to have this opportunity. I am extremely thankful for the generous donation by Drew and Sue Snyder to make this scholarship possible.
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among friends Lisa Scheller
1
Winter/Spring 2011 events
1
Harold and Euneta Washington took home a centerpiece Dec. 5 from KU’s annual Retirees’ Holiday Luncheon. More than 400 guests attended this holiday tradition, established through the generosity of the late Walter Bohnstengel.
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alyssa monroe
lisa scheller
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Glenda Hinton and Debbie Vignatelli Konzem attended a reception April 6 for life members of the Chancellors Club who live in Lawrence. Jill and Pack St. Clair hosted, at their home on the eighth floor of The Oread Hotel. Sponsored by KU Endowment, the Chancellors Club is the premier giving society for KU.
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lisa scheller
Lisa Scheller
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Drs. Roy Jensen, Dev Karan and Shrikant Anant and other guests gathered Jan. 20 at Boulevard Brewery for a community outreach event centering on early detection and treatment of prostate cancer. The event’s sponsor was the KU Advancement Board, an advisory group representing KU Medical Center, The University of Kansas Hospital and Kansas University Physicians Inc., collectively known as the academic medical center.
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Sallie Morrison, Saralyn Reece Hardy and Barbara Nordling met with other members of Women Philanthropists for KU and their guests in the Kansas Room of Memorial Union on Jan. 29, Kansas Day. Amy Peters, KU Endowment director of planned giving, spoke about “What I wish my mother had taught me about finances.”
Alexandra Santos
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Former Kansas Governor Mark Parkinson and his daughter, Kit, joined other KU alumni and friends March 11 at a KU Endowment Big 12 pre-game reception at the President Hotel near the Sprint Center.
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Last Christmas Eve, Luis Fernando Santos greeted his brother Juan Manuel Santos, president of Colombia, at Luis’ farm near Bogotá. Both are KU alumni. Luis’ wife based the sculpture on a sketch she made of a Jayhawk at the Eldridge Hotel restaurant.
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KU | WINTER KU GIVING GIVING | SUMMER2010 2011
PAST AND PRESENT david f. mckinney / ku university relations
The long and winding road Although not as well known as the boulevard atop Mount Oread, Memorial Drive is a campus icon in its own right. Each May, the winding drive serves as the waiting area where thousands of graduates-to-be line up for the ceremonial walk through the Campanile and down the Hill during KU’s commencement. Dedicated 60 years ago, Memorial Drive was built to honor the 277 KU alumni, students, faculty and staff who died in World War II and the more than 7,000 who served. About 8,000 donors gave nearly $350,000 in the campaign to build the drive and the Campanile. — Katie Coffman KUENDOWMENT.ORG |
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P.O. Box 928 Lawrence, KS 66044-0928
Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Lawrence, Kansas Permit No. 72
See giving opportunities at KU Endowment: www.kuendowment.org/allopps brian goodman