Retired KU couple commits $1.5 million to School of Pharmacy

A longtime member of the University of Kansas School of Pharmacy faculty and their spouse have included a generous planned gift as part of their estate planning. The couple prefers to remain anonymous but are pleased to share their philanthropic motivation in the hopes that others might join them in remembering KU in their estate planning.

The couple are both KU graduates who had active and productive careers. In retirement, it became clear they had enough savings to meet their own needs, and they wanted their alma mater to have a generous portion of what would be left over when they were gone. They have earmarked their $1.5 million planned gift to be used to fund a professorship. The couple previously established a fund that supports student scholarships.

“The most useful thing we can do is give our money for scholarships and a professorship,” said the retired faculty member. “I understand the need to bring in people who have the capacity to do good research and bring in research money. Research funding helps the departments, and it gives the researchers, departments and the school respect and standing within the university community.”

The couple believes strongly in providing more access to higher education. They see the social, political, civic and economic benefits of having more educated citizens. They also want to support the pharmacy profession.

“[It’s about] having people who are really excited about what they’re doing and interested in really understanding the drugs and the patients and being good pharmacists,” they said. “For both of us, having people who are well educated in this society and in the profession is extremely important. I can’t think of a better use for the money that we’ve accumulated through our profession.”

Pharmacy Dean Ronald Ragan agrees with that assessment. “Increasingly, private funding is essential to a successful future for the KU School of Pharmacy. With state funding on the decline and the costs for providing academic and research support on the rise, gifts like this will determine our trajectory. I’m grateful for this couple’s commitment to the school, to the profession and for their commitment to securing the future of the School of Pharmacy.” For more information about planned giving or other financial support to the KU School of Pharmacy, please contact Beth Bucklin at KU Endowment, bbucklin@kuendowment.org or 785-835-7477.