KENNESAW, Ga. | Oct 15, 2019

Donation benefits students in nursing and music

Kennesaw State University has received two gifts totaling $2 million from the Bobbie Bailey Foundation in support of merit and needs-based scholarships for students in the WellStar School of Nursing and the School of Music.

“Dr. Bailey was a longtime friend and supporter of Kennesaw State whose legacy lives on through her generosity to our students and this university,” said KSU President Pamela Whitten. “We are honored and grateful for this generous gift, which will help students pursue their passion and realize their dream of a college education.”

The Bobbie Bailey Foundation Endowed Nursing Scholarship will be awarded to full-time students seeking a bachelor's or master’s degree in the WellStar School of Nursing, which is housed in the WellStar College of Health and Human Services. This is the second contribution to KSU’s nursing program from the Bailey family. In 2001, Audrey B. Morgan, Dr. Bailey’s sister, longtime business partner, and current chairwoman and chief executive officer of the Bobbie Bailey Foundation, established the Audrey Morgan Nursing Scholarship in recognition and support of outstanding nursing students. Since its inception, 11 scholarships have been awarded to promising KSU nursing students.

“On behalf of the students, faculty and staff of the WellStar College of Health and Human Services, we wish to thank the Bobbie Bailey Foundation for its continued support,” said Mark Tillman, dean of the WellStar College of Health and Human Services. “Dr. Bailey and her foundation have made a tremendous impact on this university and the College. This gift will be extremely beneficial to our KSU nursing students.”

The Bobbie Bailey Endowed Music Scholarship will be awarded to full-time students in the School of Music, which is housed in the College of the Arts. Preference will be given to students studying piano, string instruments, and music education. This gift provides a significant addition to the Bobbie Bailey Endowed Music Scholarship that was established in 2008. 

“We are grateful for the continued support of the Bobbie Bailey Foundation through this generous gift to the School of Music," said Ivan Pulinkala, dean of the College of the Arts. “Dr. Bailey’s passion for our students has transformed the School of Music at KSU into a leading collegiate music program in Georgia. Her legacy is experienced by the hundreds of students whose musical careers are nurtured in the Bailey Performance Center every year.”

In 2007, Dr. Bailey also funded an endowment to name the Bailey Performance Center and donated 44 Steinway pianos to the School of Music, enabling KSU to receive the honor of an All-Steinway designation. Four years later in 2012, Dr. Bailey honored her sister and her sister’s late husband through the naming of the Audrey B. and Jack E. Morgan Sr. Concert Hall.

“Bobbie and I chose education as the primary focus of our foundations because we recognized that education has the power to transform lives,” Morgan said. “A good education is also the primary key to breaking the cycle of poverty. Not only does education have the ability to transform lives, but we believe there is no better investment for our money than in the lives of deserving young people –not only to help them realize their dreams, but also to be compounded with the difference they make with their lives. It keeps paying forward.” 

The Bobbie Bailey Foundation, established in 1993, has partnered with nonprofits, schools and hospitals to promote music and dance, enable access to cutting-edge health technology, and empower at-risk women throughout the Southeast. The foundation’s efforts focus on education, music and the arts, healthcare and human services.

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A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its more than 47,000 students. Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 7 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.