Morehead gift moves College of Nursing forward

Kenneth Morehead

Family and friends remember Falls City, Neb., native Kenneth Morehead as a man who lived life like a jet pilot – – with certainty and speed. Now Morehead’s legacy also will be recognized by his significant contribution to advancing the science of caring for people.

During his life and more recently through his estate, Morehead contributed a total of $1.75 million to the University of Nebraska Foundation to benefit the UNMC College of Nursing. The combination of gifts, all unrestricted, is the largest of its kind in the college’s history.

According to College of Nursing Dean Virginia Tilden, D.N.Sc., unrestricted gifts enable the college to address urgent and timely opportunities. The Morehead fund will “move the college forward in great leaps,” she said.

“It will enable the college to achieve many of its ambitious goals in the pursuit of nursing excellence and allow us to become more remarkable,” Dr .Tilden said. Presently the UNMC College of Nursing ranks among the top 20 percent of nursing colleges nationwide and 21st out of 90 colleges in attracting National Institutes of Health research funding.

The following individuals attended a UNMC College of Nursing presentation of the plaque honoring Ken Morehead. From left are Marc Morehead of Falls City, Morehead’s nephew; John Niemann, senior vice president of the University of Nebraska Foundation and Morehead’s longtime friend; Kris (Morehead) Hansen-Cain, Morehead’s niece who received her undergraduate and graduate degrees from the UNMC College of Nursing and is employed as a nurse practitioner by The Nebraska Medical Center; James Stephenson of Falls City, Morehead’s lifelong friend; Richard Halbert of Falls City, Morehead’s attorney; and Virginia Tilden, D.N.Sc., dean of the UNMC College of Nursing.

The Morehead gift already has enabled the college to pursue one significant goal: to attract and retain world-class faculty. The college recently established the Kenneth E. Morehead Clinical Professorship in Nursing to help recruit an outstanding scholar in clinical research and training. Plans are underway to fill the position by year’s end.

Giving was important to Morehead, said his nephew Marc Morehead, because “he liked to know something was better because of him.

“Our family believes creation of the professorship will make a difference, and there will be tangible benefits that contribute to the quality of care, quality of education and outcomes,” he said.

A veteran of the Korean War, Morehead built a prosperous automobile dealership in Falls City, Beatrice, Lincoln, Omaha and Kansas City. He was one of nine members and three generations of the Morehead family to graduate from the University of Nebraska. Morehead died in 2000. He was a longtime resident of Falls City and grandson of former Nebraska Gov. John Henry Morehead.

Those close to Morehead said he had a great admiration for nurses and the care they provided when he was ill. “Ken saw great value in the work nurses did and gave them full credit for saving his life,” said Morehead’s friend, Jim Stephenson. “It meant a lot to him, and he wanted to give something back to them.”

Dr. Tilden said Morehead’s gift is a testament to the difference nursing care makes in the lives of patients. “Nurses help people manage symptoms, live with a condition and maximize quality of life to help keep them well longer,” she said. “Nursing truly is the science of caring for people.”

Richard Halbert, Morehead’s attorney, agreed, saying his client’s gift was his way of recognizing those who care for us. “And the fact that Ken Morehead chose the UNMC College of Nursing is truly a tribute to the college,” he said.