“AARP Kansas is honored to have been a sponsor of the Landmark Celebration of the centennial of Senator Bob Dole’s birth and the 20th anniversary of the Dole Institute. We know and appreciate the legacy of Senator Dole and his work across the aisle on many issues that are important to AARP. We proudly serve nearly six million United States veterans, active-duty service members and military families and their caregivers.”

Glenda DuBoise, State Director, AARP Kansas
Gift to the Dole Institute of Politics Centenary fund

“We grew up in middle-class households in Iowa. Our parents certainly didn’t have enough money to be making gifts of this type. I think we’re motivated by a sense of ‘aren’t we lucky?’ We’ve been fortunate. Education really is the key to making a good life for yourself and others. So now that we’ve had some financial success and luck — to be able to give to an educational institution is what’s important to us. Our two philanthropic goals are health care and education.”

Paul Black and Julie Cheslik, Kansas City, Mo.
Gift to establish the John P. Black Professorship in History

“In fall 1983, I joined KU as a graduate student from India with $50 in my pocket and a mind filled with awe, anxiety, fear, curiosity and an undefined dream. KU transformed my education and life experiences forever. My innovative industrial research has enabled development of drug delivery technologies, advancement of predictive science, obtaining regulatory approvals, acknowledgement and acceptance by the pharmaceutical industry and academia at-large. These research initiatives have ultimately impacted the lives of millions of patients worldwide. The funds are provided to foster and strengthen the exchange of knowledge and experiences between academic and industrial researchers.”

Ravi Shanker, Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Chemistry 1989, and Suman Shanker, Stonington, Conn.
Gift to establish the Ravi and Suman Shanker Pharmaceutical Chemistry Symposium fund

“The McConnell Professorship in Surgery supports not only the outstanding clinical care by Dr. Sean Kumer, the inaugural recipient, but also the significant impact of The University of Kansas Health System and KU Medical Center on Kansas City. The absolute best health care, research and training are happening right here, right now. I am so proud to be a part of this mission!”

Marilyn P. McConnell, Mission Hills, Kan.
Gift to establish the Marilyn P. McConnell Professorship

“Our parents, Dr. Ole Robert and Margerie Cram, actively supported the University of Kansas for decades. A proud KU graduate, Ole served on the Alumni Association Board, as a member of the Williams Educational Fund, on the KU Honors program development committee and as a Chancellor’s Associate. He was one of the first recipients of the Mildred Clodfelter Alumni Award. “Doc” was a Family Practice Physician in Larned, Kan., for 40 years, where he and Margerie were active community members. They believed in higher education and inspired their five children to become Jayhawks. To honor their loyalty and commitment to KU, we continue to support the Dr. Ole and Margerie Cram Memorial Scholarship, awarded to Pawnee County graduates who attend KU.”

Patricia Cram Nelson, bachelor’s in nursing 1966, and Michael Aaron Nelson, M.D. 1970
Charles Robert Cram, bachelor’s in business 1970, and Sandra Roberts Cram
James Edwin Cram, bachelor’s in pharmacy 1973, and Rebecca Schmidt Cram, bachelor’s in nursing 1972, master’s in nursing 1983
Mary Cram Myers, bachelor’s in education 1973, and Jack Myers
Betty Cram Dickerson, bachelor’s in social work 1975, master’s in social work 1976,
and Tom Dickerson
Gift to the Dr. Ole and Margerie Cram Scholarship

“We know firsthand the challenges of getting timely and appropriate health care in our hometowns in Kansas, especially in emergencies. That’s why we established the Junod Public Health Scholarship to support graduate medical research to improve health care delivery for rural families.”

Forrest Junod, bachelor’s in zoology 1961, M.D. 1965, and Patricia Junod, bachelor’s in music education 1963, Sacramento, Calif.
Gift to the Patricia E. and Forrest L. Junod, M.D. Public Health Scholarship

“We both graduated from the KU School of Education in 1966 and began teaching careers that year — Carol Lynne in the Kansas City, Mo., Center District and Jeff in the Shawnee Mission District in Kansas. Our teaching careers were interrupted when Jeff entered the Army in 1968 during the Vietnam conflict. Even though life disrupted our careers, we revered our time as teachers and gained great respect for the profession and those who devote their careers to the important work of teaching and mentoring our youth. Recognizing the need to support the development and recruitment of great people into the profession, we established our scholarship to enable students to pursue and continue this challenging career path.”

Carol Lynne Ellis, bachelor’s in elementary education 1966, and Jeff Ellis, bachelor’s in social studies education 1966, Lake Quivira, Kan.
Gift to Jeff and Carol Lynne Byington Ellis Scholarship in Education