Virginia K. Karnes and William G. Karnes Endowed Scholarship Fund

The Virginia K. Karnes and William G. Karnes Endowed Scholarship Fund was established in 2000 through a gift from the Virginia K. Karnes and William G. Karnes Trust.

The late Mr. and Mrs. Karnes were longtime benefactors of Rush University Medical Center. Mrs. Karnes’ dedication to Rush exceeded 50 years, beginning as a volunteer in 1954. She was a devoted member of the Woman’s Board — including a term as president — and served the Board of Trustees of the Medical Center for three decades.

Mrs. Karnes’ husband of 63 years, Bill Karnes, was the CEO of Beatrice Foods, a major American food processing company headquartered in Chicago that was acquired by ConAgra Foods in 1990. Mr. and Mrs. Karnes’ philanthropic legacy at Rush is celebrated through this scholarship, a named floor in the Cohn Research Building and numerous gifts from the Woman’s Board that Mrs. Karnes helped spearhead.