Kay Barnes and Tom Van Dyke can have their pick of just about any philanthropic activity in Kansas City.
After all, the former mayor and legal legend morphed their lifelong friendship into a marriage last year of civic celebrities well known for their commitment to public service and community development.
Both are enthusiastic supporters of the National World War I Memorial and Museum, but they had taken widely separate paths toward initial awareness of its allure and its significance for the Kansas City area.
“My first memory was in 1979 after I was first elected to the city council,” Barnes says. “After our installation, we had a luncheon in one of the two original buildings (Memory Hall). I remember looking around the room and being very impressed…impressive and inspirational.”
That impression fueled her later work as mayor in supporting the renovation of the Memorial and addition of the current Museum.
Van Dyke’s introduction to the institution came in a similar manner, only many years later. It followed an invitation from restaurateur and Museum benefactor Carl DiCapo about 10 years ago.
“Carl held a (Rotary) meeting and said if you were interested you could go to the meeting at the Museum,” Van Dyke recalled. “It caught my attention, and I thought here’s an asset for the city that is not all that well known. That’s what sparked my initial interest.”
Although close friends, Barnes and Van Dyke did not merge their Museum involvement until a couple of years ago, after their friendship had deepened and Barnes sprang something of a “honey-do” idea on him.
“I remember (Museum President) Matt Naylor asking me to meet with him and wanting to know of others who might want to get involved. Tom and I were engaged, so I mentioned my conversation with Matt and asked Tom if he would be interested in the two of us getting involved. And Tom readily said yes.”
The result has been a generous commitment to the Museum in terms of time and financial support. They serve on the Campaign Cabinet and have made a generous pledge to the Pershing Legacy Society.
Their reasons are as varied as their lifelong accomplishments.
Van Dyke says that the institution is a perfect fit for one of his passions for charitable giving – education.
“The Museum is a great educational tool in terms of fundamental things about our society and our world and how important that world war was in shaping a lot of things,” he says. “It can teach a lot in terms of how it is organized and laid out. It’s also a great venue for events … for people to get acquainted with the Museum.”
Barnes, now a Park University professor, also cites education as one motivating factor for her interest in the Museum, and she gives Naylor and the staff high marks for enhancing the educational exhibits and programs. But, as a former mayor, she also has a civic take on her involvement.
“It is also an incredible community icon that in its own way promotes Kansas City,” she says, “and the history of how it came to be with the very rapid and unusual fundraising activity (in 1919) to get it built in the first place is part of not only its history but also a very proud part of Kansas City’s history.”
As with other elements of their museum activities, Barnes and Van Dyke have parallel and complimentary goals for the future impact of their personal and financial support.
Barnes says she hopes the Museum evolves in terms of visibility and programs.
“The upcoming two years are such an important part of World War I history,” she said, referring to the centennial of American involvement in the war. “That will be a pivotal point in the history of the Museum and position it to be even more significant in the future. The long-term success is also a priority for me.”
While echoing the programming priorities for the Museum, Van Dyke also hopes to enhance its resources for “adding luster to the Museum” through acquisition of outstanding exhibits.
"There are probably so many artifacts out there that would add to the luster of the displays and the Museum itself. If they have the resources to acquire those, I think it will be very important in terms of the ability to sustain it. I think it’s important that they modify the displays and bring in new artifacts so that people will come back. That’s a key to any Museum. They’ve got to have ‘new’ so to speak.”
That sparked an emphatic “Yes!” from Barnes.
The Pershing Legacy Society honors those who have placed the Museum in their estate plans to ensure the future of the Museum for future generations. The Museum’s goal is to have 100 founding members by the end of the Centennial (2019). To date, there are 32 founding members. If interested in becoming a founding member of the Pershing Legacy Society, contact Debbie Bass at 816.888.8106.