Columbia, MO – Stephens College today announced a gift from the Bill and Doris Scharpf Foundation dedicated to providing the College with an annual $2.5 million gift in perpetuity.
The $12.5 million five-year pledge in support of the School of Health Sciences will automatically renew every five years so long as the College meets basic mission and financial requirements. The College will name its School of Health Sciences in Doris Spiegelberg’s honor.
Doris Spiegelberg Scharpf attended Stephens College from 1940 to 1942, during an era when it was a two-year college. Her time at Stephens was an experience she often described as foundational to the woman she became, and she took great delight in hearing about the activities and accomplishments of today’s students.
Doris and Bill always felt that their wealth in their later years was a gift from God and should be shared. They invested much of their philanthropy in education since they felt that a good education was the path to success.
“Doris was a Stephens woman in every sense of the word,” said Stephens College President Dianne Lynch. “She was a passionate advocate for the transformational impact of a Stephens education and wanted to help ensure that her own life-changing experience would continue to be possible for others.”
After Bill passed away on September 4, 2001, Doris continued with her own philanthropy, including ongoing and generous support for Stephens College. Since her death in 2019 at the age of 95, the Bill and Doris Scharpf Foundation has continued to generously support the organizations and programs its founders cared about most.
“Stephens College was so important to Doris,” said Fred Koontz, President of the Scharpf Foundation. “We are certain she would be pleased to know that her Foundation will continue to support its mission and impact on students, today and into the future.”
Through the School of Health Sciences, Stephens College offers eight undergraduate and graduate academic programs that prepare outstanding professionals to serve as leaders in clinical and research settings. Programs include a three-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing program in partnership with Boone Health; a Health Sciences degree to prepare undergraduate students for medical, veterinary and research-focused graduate programs; a Master of Physicians Assistant Studies program; and a graduate counseling degree in partnership with Burrell Behavioral Health, among others.
About Stephens College
Driven by a mission to Learn. Grow. Lead., Stephens College has created groundbreaking educational opportunities for students from mid-Missouri and around the world since 1833. The College has built a foundation for the 21st century with its commitment to experiential learning, expanded health sciences and creative arts degrees, and targeted investment in programs leading to high-demand careers that serve and enrich communities. Stephens is an established leader in undergraduate women’s education and a longtime innovator in providing flexible, co-educational master’s degrees and certificates for working professionals. Learn more about Stephens College at stephens.edu.