The 21st annual Des Moines University Medicine and Health Sciences Glanton Event will take place on Wednesday, November 6, 2024, at The Meadows Event Center in Altoona, Iowa. This year’s presenting sponsor, Holmes Murphy, is a longtime supporter of the Glanton Event. DMU’s partnership with Holmes Murphy continues to power shared efforts for positive change in health care. Â
“Holmes Murphy has been a proud donor and supporter of the Glanton Fund for decades,” says Steve McManus, CPCU, Sr. Vice President, PC/Shareholder at Holmes Murphy. “The fund serves a meaningful purpose by uplifting DMU students who have significant financial needs and come from various backgrounds.”
Headquartered in Waukee, Iowa, Holmes Murphy is an independent risk management and insurance brokerage firm that has long provided quality insurance solutions to DMU employees.
“Holmes Murphy’s long-standing partnership with DMU exemplifies the power of collaboration in creating meaningful change,” says Angela L. Walker Franklin, Ph.D., president and CEO. “Their commitment to the Glanton Fund has been instrumental in advancing our mission of fostering diversity and inclusion in health care.”
The Glanton Fund was created in 2004 to generate funds for students with significant financial needs and whose qualities best align with DMU’s mission and values. The goal is to create a campus environment that encourages an appreciation for cultural differences and attracts students of all backgrounds to be part of the university and impact the world of health care.
“Cultural diversity is essential to quality delivery of health care services to our communities and country,” McManus says. “We are honored and pleased to be given the opportunity to be the presenting sponsor for this year’s event.”
The Glanton Fund is named in honor of the late Judge Luther Glanton Jr. and Willie Stevenson Glanton, supports scholarships for students with significant financial need and fosters diversity initiatives at DMU. Judge Glanton, the first Black judge in Iowa, joined the DMU Board of Trustees in 1979. After his passing in 1991, Mrs. Glanton, the first Black female assistant county attorney and the first Black person from Polk County to serve in the Iowa Legislature, continued his legacy, serving on the board until 2012 and chairing it from 1999.
“DMU’s commitment to encouraging an environment that appreciates and recognizes cultural differences goes far beyond our campus,” Franklin says. “When students graduate and move on to careers in medicine, health sciences and public health, they take the knowledge and principles of cultural competency to care for patients with them.”
The annual Glanton Event is the key fundraising event for the fund. Each year, hundreds of community leaders, organizations and supporters gather to champion the Glanton Fund’s goals through their participation as sponsors, donors and advocates. To learn more or make your gift, visit dmu.edu/glanton or contact Abby Miesner, associate director of development and priority initiatives, at 515-271-1078 or glanton@dmu.edu.
