A master class in making it count

Medal of Excellence honorees Lee and Barb Harris see the exponential impact of a talented teaching force

It’s impossible to quantify how many lives have been touched by Lee ’75 and Barb Harris.

Officially, the couple have played a part in more than 160 Wildcat success stories through scholarships for students and alumni of K-State’s College of Education. But their real impact is far greater, reaching classrooms and communities throughout Kansas and beyond as graduates go on to impart a love of learning for a living.  

For their essential support of student success and excellence in education, as well as decades of selfless service to Kansas State University, the Harrises are 2025’s KSU Foundation Medal of Excellence honorees.

CATS TO THE CORE

Manhattan natives Lee and Barb have a connection to K-State that goes back as far as they can remember.

With two professors for parents, Lee dined at the student union every Sunday and cheered on the Wildcats at Memorial Stadium and Ahearn Fieldhouse. He remembers attending the Robert F. Kennedy Landon Lecture and concerts by artists such as Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass.

“During the 1950s and ’60s, the K-State power plant whistle blew at 8 a.m., noon, 1 p.m. and 5 p.m.,” Lee recalled. “The entire community marked its day by the sound of that whistle.”

Lee and Barb met in 1971 as students at Manhattan High School. They married in 1974 as K-Staters, walking to campus from their rental on Poyntz Avenue for classes and part-time work. The two found themselves becoming self-sufficient at a young age, an experience they’d like to make more attainable for today’s students.

“We were blessed to know our way around, having grown up on and around campus, and to have good student employment opportunities that helped us avoid debt,” Lee said. “As we became more prosperous over time, we knew we wanted to give back to the university that had been so integral to our lives.”

BOOSTING BRAINPOWER AT K-STATE (AND BEYOND)

Neither Lee nor Barb pursued a career in education. Lee studied economics and serves as president and CEO of apartment development and ownership firm Cohen-Esrey, while Barb retired in 2007 from Children’s Mercy Hospital after 30 years as a registered nurse in the neonatal intensive care unit.

Still, they know teachers are a powerful and pervasive force for good.   

“We wanted to provide financial support to a cause that would positively impact as many lives as possible, so we chose the teaching profession for our philanthropic mission,” he said. “Our rationale was that a teacher touches the lives of hundreds if not thousands of young people over the course of a career.”

The couple help undergraduate education students complete their degrees through the Tomorrow’s Teacher and Barbara C. Blatz scholarships, which have awarded more than $1 million since 1999.

In 2025, the Harrises made a blended gift to expand those two scholarships and launch the Today’s Teacher Fellowship, a first-of-its-kind fund awarded to current teachers throughout the state who implement educational community service programs.   

“We are forever grateful that of all the areas they could have chosen to make a lasting difference, Lee and Barb chose education,” said Debbie Mercer, dean of the College of Education. “I believe they chose education because they have an innate understanding of the power of teachers, how they fuel curious minds, and how those well-educated students become contributors to business and industry in communities across Kansas.”

WHEN GIFTS GIVE BACK

As it turns out, giving back is rewarding for donor and beneficiary alike.

Lee and Barb have gleaned incredible joy from the experience over the years, and they’ve learned a thing or two about making philanthropy go the extra mile. Their advice for fellow donors is this: Get to know your student beneficiaries and follow their journeys as they build successful lives, armed with the knowledge they gained at K-State.  

Those who have been on the receiving end of the Harrises’ philosophy describe the effects as life changing.

“The Tomorrow’s Teacher scholarship was hugely instrumental in my educational journey,” said Meredith Reid, now in her sixth year of teaching in her hometown of Girard, Kansas, after earning a bachelor’s degree in music education in 2010 and a master’s in music in 2017. “In addition to the financial assistance, I’ve felt the support of Barb and Lee Harris through graduation gifts and Christmas cards, which I still receive to this day. Having that support has been integral to my development and continuation in the field of education.”

PRIVILEGED TO PROMOTE TEACHING

To Lee and Barb, the real MVPs are the students and educators who inspire others to reach their full potential.  

“We are honored and humbled to receive the Medal of Excellence, though it’s certainly unexpected,” Lee said. “While we’d rather shine the spotlight on the brilliant young K-Staters who have chosen a virtuous career in education, we appreciate the opportunity to reiterate what a privilege it is to support them in that endeavor and express how proud we are of them and their accomplishments.”