The University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) and the UMKC Foundation are pleased to announce and acknowledge a $1 million estate gift benefiting the College of Arts and Sciences' Department of English and the Conservatory of Music and Dance.

Jo Anna Dale graduated from UMKC with a Bachelor of Arts in English in 1952. Since she first stepped foot on the UMKC campus in the late 1940s, Dale has cultivated a strong interest in literature and creative writing. Although she majored in English, Dale also is an avid supporter of the performing arts.

Dale's gift will be divided equally between the Department of English and the Conservatory. This gift will create the Jo Anna Dale English Scholarship and augment two scholarships previously established by Dale: the Jo Anna Dale Scholarship in Creative Writing (established in 2007) and the Jo Anna Dale Conservatory Scholarship (established in 2010). In addition to these scholarships, she established the Dale Vocal Studies Travel Fund in 2008, which provides financial support to vocal students needing to travel to launch their careers.

"Jo Anna Dale's generosity provides students in two of UMKC's fine programs with the resources necessary to reach their potential," said UMKC Chancellor Leo E. Morton. "This type of support exemplifies the pride the university's alumni have in their alma mater, and it is essential to the progress of UMKC and Kansas City."

After graduating, Dale had a successful 28-year career at the Social Security Administration where her late husband, Richard Dale III, worked as an attorney. Since retiring, with more time to devote to writing, Dale has written novels and published several poems. Through these scholarships, Dale hopes to foster a new generation of writers and musicians.

In addition to supporting her alma mater, Dale was elected Regent of the Missouri State Society, Daughters of the American Colonists in 2009. She also serves as the Great Plains Section Chairman of the Historic Landmarks and Memorials Committee of that organization. She is an active member of the Independence Pioneers Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution; the Missouri River Trails Chapter of the Colonial Dames of the Seventeenth Century; and the Kansas-Missouri Company of the Jamestowne [sic] Society. She also is a member of the Friends of the Missouri Town 1855; the Community Association for the Arts; Friends of the Chicago & Alton Railroad Depot; the Midwest Philatelic Society; the Producers' Society of KCPT; the National Frontier Trails Museum; and Mensa.

Dale has two sons, Robert Joseph Cook and Daniel William Cook, a stepson Richard Dale IV (deceased), and a stepdaughter Dr. Virginia Carol Dale. She has two cats. Dale is an avid reader, and loves to read murder mysteries, science fiction and history.

UMKC and the UMKC Foundation thank Jo Anna Dale for her generous gift of scholarship, which will benefit students for many generations to come.