The Cowan gift will benefit students starting in 2015
The University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Dentistry has received $7.67 million to commit to student scholarships, one of the largest gifts to go to an American dental school.
The gift was announced in 2009 at the Midwest Dental Conference, which the UMKC School of Dentistry hosts annually. The bequest comes from the estate of Branson dentist Robert Cowan, a 1949 graduate of the school, and his wife, Lucille. In recognition of the gift, the first floor of the dental school — housing most of the school’s patient care clinics — is named the Dr. Robert and Mrs. Lucille Cowan Center for Clinical Care. Both Cowans died in 2011.
“The Cowans told UMKC that their generous gift must go to student scholarships because Dr. Cowan had first-hand knowledge of the financial challenges many students face,” said UMKC Chancellor Leo E. Morton. “When he was a dental student in the 1940s, Dr. Cowan held a part-time job in a tax office at 8th and Grand to pay for his education. He remembered how supportive his instructors were, letting him leave class early so he could get to work on time. Dr. Cowan never forgot the acts of compassion and generosity shown to him by the university. At UMKC, we will never forget his and Lucille’s generosity.”
Funds from the Cowans’ estate became available Jan. 31, and will collect interest for a year before they become available for scholarships in 2015, said Hilary Wheat, director of development at the UMKC School of Dentistry. It will double the amount of scholarship funds available to UMKC School of Dentistry students.
“The Cowans were active in the dental profession throughout Dr. Cowan’s career, and their hope was that their gift will inspire others to give to the School,” said Marsha Pyle, dean of the UMKC School of Dentistry. “That hope included Cowan Scholarship recipients to help at least one other student as soon as they are financially able.”
The Cowan Scholarships also will help recruit more culturally diverse students. The minority health workforce and incoming health profession students aren’t keeping up with the U.S. population. In 2011, minorities made up 37 percent of the population but only 12 percent of incoming dental students nationwide are minorities, according to the American Dental Association. The minority student population at the UMKC School of Dentistry is 17 percent.
The dental profession remains one of the most desirable careers. Getting accepted into a dental school is competitive. About 1,000 candidates apply annually for about 110 seats in the four-year Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) degree program at the UMKC School of Dentistry.