A recent gift to the WVU School of Nursing from the School of Nursing Class of 1970 shows gratitude continues long after graduation.
The Class commissioned a West Virginia artisan to build a beautiful bench that is now proudly displayed in the School of Nursing’s Dean Suite.
“The bench came about for the 50 year-reunion from the School of Nursing from the Class of 1970,” Lora Mathias, Class of 1970 classmate, said. “We wanted to give a visible and physical tribute to the School of Nursing. We also had many contributions for the Dean’s Fund, but we decided we would like to have something for her office that everyone would know came from the Class of 1970."
“The class of 1970 has been a great class,” Tara Hulsey, PhD, dean of the WVU School of Nursing and vice president of Health Promotion and Wellness, said. “They’ve really made an effort to stay in touch with each other and they have been consistent in coming back for class reunions."
"This gift is unique because it’s a physical presence in the Dean’s Suite that marks their appreciation and gratitude for the School of Nursing, and it’s something that our students now and in the future will be able to enjoy,” Dean Hulsey said. “This is an area where students visit and the bench will be used and very much appreciated. It’s a really unique gift, and I am very grateful for it.”
The Class provided design ideas to artist Forrest Elmore of Upshur County and from there, he created the bench.
The Class of 1970 began their studies with the School of Nursing in 1966, with more than 100 students registering as nursing majors. “In the spring of 1967, we had a personal interview with a faculty member and they looked at our grades and attendance from our pre-nursing class, and they accepted 62 students,” Lora said. “As we began our clinicals that summer, in a smaller group, and as we went through the following years, we became closer and closer. We’ve had up to 35 women come back [for reunions] and there were only 52 of us who graduated after the 62 who were admitted.”
When asked what the Class of 1970 wanted visitors to know about the bench, Lora remarked she wanted others to know how appreciative they were of their education. “We want them to know there was a group of women who were very thankful and grateful for the education they received here. As we talked with our class throughout the years, none of us ever felt ill-prepared when we first graduated. Any situation we were in, we felt as if we had been educated to handle that. And we are just very grateful for the education we received at West Virginia University,” she said.
Photo caption: Members of the Class of 1970 who were on hand for the bench donation include (from left to right): Janis Wagoner McGinnis, Lora Uglow Mathias; Greta Weigold Smith; Margery Boyd Samsel; and Brenda Lombardo Turner.