Largest Gift in Kansas City University History Fuels Research and Medical Education

KANSAS CITY, Mo., May 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Kansas City University (KCU) has received over $20 million from the estate of Paul W. Dybedal, DO, and his wife, Mary Louise Dybedal. This is the largest gift from an individual in the University's history and reflects the Dybedals' commitment to advancing osteopathic medical education, research, behavioral health and student scholarships.

Dr. Dybedal, a 1954 graduate of KCU's College of Osteopathic Medicine, enjoyed a distinguished career in psychiatry. He served as a U.S. Army Reserves medical officer and practiced inpatient and forensic psychiatry at Napa State Hospital in California. A previous KCU Alumnus of the Year, he retired from the KCU Board of Trustees in 2007, following more than 36 years of service.

"KCU gave my father the foundation to build a successful career, and he was dedicated to ensuring that future generations of students have the same opportunities he had," Paul Dybedal Jr. said. "This gift is his way of continuing to support KCU, a place that gave so much to our family."

The donation will support three vital areas of growth at KCU:

• Expand the Dybedal Center for Research on the Kansas City campus and establish state-of-the-art laboratory facilities on the Joplin campus. This will enhance KCU's research capabilities and advance groundbreaking work in the medical and biosciences fields.
  
  
• Establish the Paul W. Dybedal, DO, Endowed Chair of Psychiatry, a pivotal role that will elevate KCU's psychiatric education, support innovative research in behavioral health and help recruit and retain leading faculty in the field.
  
  
• Increase the Mary L. Dybedal Scholarship Fund to ensure that future generations of medical students will have tuition support.

The Dybedals have been generous and long-standing supporters of KCU. Their contributions also include establishing the Paul W. Dybedal, DO, and Mary L. Dybedal Scholarship to support future osteopathic medical students. In recognition of their pivotal 2004 gift that propelled advancements in medical education and biomedical research, the University opened the Dybedal Center for Research on its Kansas City campus in their honor in 2006. With this latest gift, they have contributed more than $22.7 million to KCU.

"We are deeply grateful for the generosity of the Dybedal family," said Marc B. Hahn, DO, president and CEO at KCU. "Their contributions will continue to transform our University and strengthen our ability to expand our capacity to innovate—as we live our mission of improving the well-being of the communities we serve."

The Dybedal family's legacy will continue to shape the University's future for years to come, driving innovation, fostering research and impacting students, faculty and the broader health care community.

About Kansas City University
Founded in 1916, Kansas City University (KCU) is a fully accredited, private not-for-profit health sciences university with Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine, Biosciences and Dental Medicine, and campuses in Kansas City and Joplin, Mo. The College of Osteopathic Medicine is the fourth-largest medical school in the U.S. and the leading producer of physicians in Missouri. It ranks #1 for producing physicians who practice in primary care, rural areas and underserved regions in the state. KCU's Center for Population Health and Equity addresses the variables that affect a population's health and contribute to health disparities, while equipping students across all programs to address these challenges. KCU offers doctoral degrees in osteopathic medicine, dental medicine and clinical psychology and a master's degree in biomedical sciences. Dual degree offerings include master's degrees in business administration in health care leadership, public health, and bioethics. A new Master of Health Sciences – Anesthesiologist Assistant program is scheduled to launch in 2026.

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SOURCE Kansas City University