Extraordinary Philanthropy Highlighted at 9th Annual Hugh M. Gloster Society Celebration
For Dr. Bess Jones, the dream of becoming a physician was deferred but ultimately not denied.
Twenty years out of school and over the age of 40, Jones was accepted into Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM)’s third charter class in 1980 and eventually became what she always wanted to be. She would have gone a traditional route and entered medical school at an earlier age but family finances had dictated otherwise.
As a result, donating to Morehouse School of Medicine today is a no-brainer for Jones.
"How could I not give back to a school that took a chance on me?" she said, speaking during the institution’s 9th Annual Hugh M. Gloster Society Celebration.
The upscale event, held April 21, 2016 on campus, honored organizations and individuals who support MSM's mission. It included the Louis C. Brown Vanguard Award ceremony honoring the Fulton Dekalb Hospital Authority for their ongoing support of MSM and pioneering work in healthcare in Atlanta, a plated fundraising dinner and three gallery experiences showcasing the school’s pacesetting work in clinical care, research and education. More than 300 guests arrived for the event, which was hosted by award-winning television broadcast journalist Monica Kaufman Pearson.
Named in honor of one of MSM’s esteemed founders and late president of Morehouse College, the Hugh M. Gloster Society was established in 2007 to help grow philanthropy and to enhance knowledge of exceptional generosity to the institution. Any donor who gives $1,000 or more during a 12-month period is automatically a member of the Gloster Society.
"I hope you have an even greater appreciation for the work done here at Morehouse School of Medicine and understand how invaluable your support is to the continued advancement of our mission and new vision to lead the creation and advancement of health equity," MSM President and Dean Dr. Valerie Montgomery Rice told the crowd. "Health equity is achieved by giving a person or a community the level of service and access to resources that allows a person or community to reach an optimum level of health. It’s giving people what they need, when they need it, and in the amount they need."
MSM is still pursuing its goal of raising $400,000 during the Gloster campaign season.
As a relatively small, private institution with a large and lofty public mission—diversifying the healthcare workforce and improving health outcomes for all populations—MSM is highly dependent upon such extraordinary philanthropy.
"Our students come here with household incomes of about $55,000 dollars," Bennie Harris, senior vice president of MSM's Office of Institutional Advancement and Marketing and Communications, told the crowd. "The national average of a student who goes to medical school comes from a household income of $175,000. And it's our students who are going back into our communities and making a difference."
Every gift has impact. For more information about giving to MSM, please visit the MSM Giving page.
