Profiles in Giving: College of Dentistry

Phyllis Kist and her family and William J. Synan
Hometowns: Clinton, Iowa, and Iowa City, Iowa

After the untimely death of Richard J. Kist, D.D.S., M.S., in an auto accident in March 2004, his family and friends felt that creating a scholarship in his name would be the best possible living memorial to a great man.

The Richard J. Kist Student Award enables this proud UI alumnus -- who at one time had six grandchildren enrolled at Iowa -- to continue to give back to The University of Iowa in perpetuity.

Born in Eagle Grove, Iowa, Kist graduated from the University of Iowa College of Dentistry in 1954. He served as a captain in the U.S. Air Force in Japan until 1956, at which time he returned to the UI and entered oral surgery training at University Hospitals. After completing his UI residency in 1958 and receiving his M.S. degree in 1959, he became chief of oral surgery at Thompson Clinic in St. Joseph, Missouri. He started a private practice in Clinton, Iowa, in 1960, where he worked until the time of his death.

In 1997, Kist became an adjunct professor of oral and maxillofacial surgery at the UI, where he was chosen as Adjunct of the Year in 1999 and 2000. He had a great love of reading and teaching, and he enjoyed challenging his students. Kist also was active in many community organizations and taught classes in the Iowa Chapter of the American Heart Association.

Each year, the Kist scholarship -- established by his wife, Phyllis, his four daughters, his sons-in-law, his nine grandchildren, and his friend and colleague William J. Synan (1988 F.) -- is awarded to a senior dental student and graduate of an Iowa high school who is deserving of financial aid, dedicated to community organizations, and planning to practice in Iowa.

"Scholarships like this make a real difference, as they allow you to focus on school instead of worrying about finances," said Jordan Solberg, the 2005-2006 recipient of the Kist Award. "It really means a lot to receive a gift that honors another graduate who cared so much about the dentistry profession, the University, and the state of Iowa."

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