Des Moines University Announces $2 Million Gift from Graduate's Family

DMU Library to Be Renamed in Honor of Gift

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Steve Dengle, Larry Baker, Lelia & Bill Schulz at DMU Library.

DES MOINES, IA (01/12/2011)(readMedia)-- In 1920 Ellen Phenicie-Schulz, D.O., graduated from Des Moines Still College of Osteopathy, now known as Des Moines University. She practiced family medicine and OB/gyn surgery in Des Moines for most of her career.

In honor of Dr. Phenicie-Schulz, her son and his wife, William R. "Bill" and Lelia Schulz, have pledged $2 million to the University in her name. In recognition of the gift, the Des Moines University (DMU) library will be known as the Dr. Ellen Phenicie-Schulz Library.

Bill was Dr. Phenicie-Schulz's only child and delights in telling people his mother instilled a love of learning in him and the love of helping others in many. A quote she wrote in her in her 1920 class yearbook about the type of doctor she would like to become said, "She wrote her name with love and kindness on the hearts of those about her."

Sue Huppert, vice president of development and alumni relations at DMU, said, "The stories I've heard about Dr. Schulz are wonderful and heart-warming and give me an appreciation for this woman who was ahead of her time. She truly left an amazing legacy as the kind of doctor totally dedicated to her patients. I've been told she would sit in the hospital rooms and hold the hands of patients who were troubled or uneasy."

The Schulzs' have three grown daughters and live in Scottsdale. A naming ceremony for the library is planned for June when the family will be present for the dedication.

"Bill felt this gift was long overdue in recognition of the personal sacrifices his mother made for him and the life he was then able to provide his own family," Huppert said. "They are very happy to see this long-lasting reminder of her love for the university and the community about which he has so many happy childhood memories."

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Des Moines University is the only private medical school in Iowa, offering graduate-level, professional degree programs in osteopathic medicine, podiatric medicine, physical therapy, physician assistant studies, health care administration, anatomy, biomedical sciences and public health. Founded in 1898, the institution offers superior academics in a collaborative environment. DMU students' pass rate on national examinations and board certifications is consistently higher than the national average and the rates at similar institutions.

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Photo caption: Interim DMU President Steve Dengle and Larry Baker, D.O., chair-elect of the DMU board of trustees, with Lelia and Bill Schulz in the DMU Library.