When Gene Kahn, a retired retail industry leader, joined the Washington University in St. Louis Board of Trustees in 1999, he thought his business acumen would be of use to Olin Business School. However, a couple of chance encounters with Edward Lawlor, then dean of the Brown School, during board dinners sparked Kahn’s interest in social work. Lawlor explained how social work focused not only on an individual’s well-being but also on the well-being of society. Social work enabled social progress, he argued, with principles such as social justice and human rights central to the work.
It was a paradigm shift for Kahn, now an emeritus trustee, and he was inspired to learn more. Those serendipitous meetings led him and his wife, Connie, to become advocates for social work, public health, and social policy at WashU. In 2005, Gene joined the Brown School National Council and served as chair from 2009 to 2018. He played a key role in launching the school’s Master of Public Health program in 2009 and helped attract prominent faculty to lead it. The program rose to the top of the U.S. News & World Report rankings and has remained there.
One of the Kahns’ favorite events is the annual Brown School Awards of Distinction ceremony that celebrates remarkable alumni. “It’s inspiring to hear what our graduates are able to achieve because of their WashU education,” says Gene, who is the former CEO of Claire’s Stores Inc. and a former chairman and CEO of the May Department Stores Co. “It’s the most rewarding day of the year.”
Today, the Kahns are helping shape the next era of public health at WashU through a commitment to establish the Eugene S. and Constance Kahn Distinguished Professorship in Public Health in the university’s planned School of Public Health. The endowed position, which will be held by inaugural dean Sandro Galea, MD, DrPH, honors his scholarly contributions as a renowned physician and epidemiologist and sets a high standard for the level of public health research that will take place in the new school.
“The Kahns are paving the way for the School of Public Health, which is a signature priority of WashU’s 10-year strategic plan and the university’s first new school in 100 years,” says Beverly Wendland, provost and executive vice chancellor for academic affairs. “It is so important to have donor champions at our side when we are trying to do ambitious things. We could not be more grateful for the Kahns’ partnership in bringing Galea, one of the world’s most influential public health leaders, to WashU.”
Galea, who is dean of Boston University’s School of Public Health and the Robert A. Knox Professor, will join the university Jan. 1. He is a frequently cited social scientist and publishes extensively about the social causes of health, mental health, and trauma. At WashU, he will also be the inaugural holder of the Margaret C. Ryan Deanship in Public Health.
A bold vision
With the School of Public Health, WashU aims to lead the field of public health not only through scholarly contributions but also through real-world impact. The school’s framework is designed to solve society’s deepest challenges, fueled by excellence in interdisciplinary public health science and educational programs that will make a difference locally and globally. Galea is uniquely qualified to lead this audacious endeavor, according to Gene.
“Sandro is an innovator, a discoverer, and a pioneer with unmatched experience and expertise,” he says. “Our gift establishing the distinguished professorship shows our appreciation for the strengths he brings to WashU and our confidence in his future achievements. We hope our support puts him on a fast track to rapidly and exponentially build a distinctive and world-renowned School of Public Health.”
The professorship also serves as a powerful signal to public health scholars and practitioners about the importance of research at the School of Public Health. High-caliber research produced by the school will shape guidelines and influence policy decisions for government agencies and other public health organizations worldwide.
“Because Sandro is a highly respected and dynamic scholar, the faculty we recruit to the school will know they have a leader who understands what it takes to conduct world-class scholarship,” says Mary McKay, executive vice provost for interdisciplinary initiatives. “Our faculty can be confident that the school will support and advance important, externally funded research initiatives. They know that what they accomplish matters to the university and will be adopted by many to make our world healthier.”
Continuing a legacy
The Kahn Distinguished Professorship is the latest in a series of investments made by the couple to further public health at WashU. They are longtime donors to the Brown School Annual Fund, and Gene led the school’s committee for Leading Together: The Campaign for Washington University during his time as chair of the national council.
Our gift establishing the distinguished professorship shows our appreciation for the strengths Galea brings to WashU and our confidence in his future achievements. We hope our support puts him on a fast track to rapidly and exponentially build a distinctive and world-renowned School of Public Health.
Gene Kahn
In 2014, they established the Kahn Family Professorship in Public Health, the Brown School’s first endowed position devoted to public health. The professorship’s inaugural recipient is Matthew Kreuter, a leader in the field of health communications. The Kahn Family Master’s Research Fellowship, created in 2020, provides funding to two Brown School graduate students working under Kreuter’s guidance. In 2018, the Kahns also endowed the Kahn Leadership Program in Public Health and Social Work to support scholarships, advanced training, leadership development, and expanded opportunities for students pursuing dual master’s degrees in social work and public health. The couple remain actively engaged with the Kahn Family Scholars, which include seven current students and 16 alumni.
Gene’s leadership with the Brown School helped lay the foundation for the new School of Public Health. He served on the search committee to recruit the incoming dean, and he continues to lend his talents as a member of the Institute for Public Health National Council. Gene is also chair of the Danforth Circle Committee of the William Greenleaf Eliot Society, the university’s giving club for donors who contribute $1,000 or more to the Annual Fund. In 2016, he was awarded the Dean’s Medal from the Brown School. And in 2021, he was inducted into the national Delta Sigma Honorary Society in Public Health as an honorary member.
The intersection of social work, public health, and health care continue to guide the Kahns’ investment in WashU and St. Louis. In 2023, they established the Kahn Family Emergency Nursing Scholarship at the Goldfarb School of Nursing at Barnes-Jewish College. The scholarship, which aims to encourage nursing students to work in the Charles F. Knight Emergency and Trauma Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, fosters collaboration between the Goldfarb School and the Department of Emergency Medicine at WashU’s medical school, which, in turn, provides oversight. Gene also sits on the executive committee of Barnes-Jewish Hospital’s board and is a past member and chair of the Goldfarb School’s board.
“Connie and I take great pride in the success of WashU,” Gene says. “When we arrived in St. Louis nearly 30 years ago, we knew little about the university. But as we became more familiar with it, WashU became our passion. Our service and philanthropy at the university is our way of giving back to both the community and society in general.”
The Kahns believe their work is far from over. They remain steadfast in their commitment to advancing public health education, research, and practice at WashU to help improve lives across the globe. “To echo the words of the incoming dean, health is a necessary condition for everything humans aspire to do and is something we cannot live without,” Gene says. “Connie and I want to help revolutionize public health and build a world where everyone can live rich, full, and long lives.”
Contact us to learn more about establishing an endowed position at WashU.
