In 10th year, Glanton Scholarship Dinner supports diversity in health care

DES MOINES, IA (10/09/2013)(readMedia)-- The Des Moines University (DMU) community, local leaders and donors will come together in support of minority students aspiring to careers in health care at the 10th annual Glanton Scholarship Fund Dinner, Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2013, at the Meadows Events & Conference Center in Altoona, Iowa.

The Glanton Scholarship Fund and dinner generate scholarship dollars for qualified minority students in DMU's nine graduate degree programs in medicine and the health sciences. The gala event will mark its 10th anniversary this year.

The scholarship fund is named after civic leaders and longtime DMU trustees, Willie Stevenson Glanton and the late Judge Luther T. Glanton Jr. He was the first black judge in Iowa; she was the first black female assistant county attorney and the first black person from Polk County to serve in the Iowa Legislature. Judge Glanton joined the DMU Board of Trustees in 1979. When he died in 1991, Mrs. Glanton took his place on the board and became its chair in 1999. She retired from the board this year.

The Glanton Scholarship Dinner is attended by hundreds of corporate and civic leaders from central Iowa and beyond. Attendees also celebrate diversity by honoring a select individual who has been a leader in creating opportunities for others. The 2013 honoree is Gary Palmer, president and chief executive officer of Prairie Meadows, the nation's first combination horse track and slot machine casino. During his tenure, the nonprofit, locally managed organization has given millions of dollars to Iowa and numerous charities in the area. Palmer also has served many civic groups, including the United Way of Central Iowa, the Greater Des Moines Partnership and Junior Achievement of Central Iowa.

Prairie Meadows has been a longtime sponsor of the Glanton Dinner.

Individuals and organizations may attend and sponsor the Glanton Dinner, which includes a reception at 5:30 p.m. and dinner at 6:30 p.m. All proceeds support the Glanton Scholarship Fund. For more information, call 515-271-1387 or www.dmu.edu.

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Des Moines University (DMU) is the only private medical school in Iowa, offering graduate-level, professional degree programs in osteopathic medicine, podiatric medicine, physical therapy, physician assistant studies, biomedical sciences, anatomy, health care administration 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.