Trailblazing Inspiration

An impactful legacy is reflected in a $2 million bequest to benefit KCU students interested in Pediatric Medicine.

Dr. Joanne Skillman-Howard, COM ’62, entered medicine at a time when the profession was almost exclusively dominated by men. Gender barriers and challenges have been well-documented throughout the decades—especially during the tumultuous 60s and 70s—when women passionate about pursuing the field defied the often-controversial decision to enter medical school.

As a barrier-breaking woman in medicine, an educator and a practicing pediatrician, Dr. Skillman-Howard’s vision made an indelible impression on those she treated, taught and befriended.

Dr. Neil Nickelsen, COM ’68, now retired from his pediatric practice in Georgia, credits Dr. Skillman-Howard and her husband, Dr. John Howard, COM ’40, with providing an ambitious outline for his future.

“Both were remarkable, sincere people and skilled professionals who motivated and inspired me,” he says. “I admired them and was eager to put what they taught me to good use.”

Jann Stevens-Moore, a member of the Stevens family of Prairie Village, Kansas, nurtured a lifelong friendship with Dr. Skillman-Howard and Dr. Howard. She recalls the couple’s distinct passions for their medical careers, KCU and the colleagues, students and patients they encountered in teaching and practice.

“I was six years old when my parents met Dr. Joanne and Dr. John on an African safari, thousands of miles from Kansas City, but I remember it wasn’t long after they returned from the Serengeti that a Friday night dinner tradition started,” Jann says. “My brother, Aaron, and I looked forward to those evenings when they would come to our house, or we would drive the short distance to theirs to share a meal and conversation and fuss over their treasured basset hounds.

“They loved Kansas City University, the hospitals where they worked and especially the classrooms and clinics where they taught students how to become doctors,” Jann adds. “Although I never experienced Dr. Joanne and Dr. John’s inspiration in a medical environment, they served as powerful examples to me and my brother, and later my children, of the importance of embracing life and loving what you do, no matter your profession or gender. As a young girl exploring my place in the world, Joanne was a role model.”

The at-large medical community benefited from the Howards’ unwavering commitment to the tenets of osteopathic medicine. Dr. Howard was head of the Department of Pediatrics at Lakeside Hospital, while Dr. Skillman-Howard served at public health clinics. In 1978, Dr. Skillman-Howard assumed Dr. Howard’s duties at Lakeside until her retirement. Dr. Skillman-Howard shared her husband’s concern for the poorer urban families they treated, particularly the new mothers, and was fiercely committed to giving the best advice and care.

Early in their KCU careers, Dr. Skillman-Howard and Dr. Howard decided that the school would be a centerpiece of their trust, first establishing a scholarship in 1997. Dedicated to the ideals of empathy, equity, inclusion and accessibility to an excellent education and medical care, the Howards’ $2 million bequest—a final act of generosity—ensures their legacy will continue in perpetuity, helping to develop high-quality and compassionate osteopathic physicians.

“Products of an institution that gave them a deep respect and pride for osteopathic medicine, they were well aware of the impact such gifts have to the success of KCU’s mission,” Jann says.

Like the Howards, you, too, can leave a lasting legacy by including KCU in your estate plan. Contact Jennifer Ingraham at jingraham@kansascity.edu or (816) 654-7282 for details.