Rich history, bright future: UMMC School of Nursing celebrates 75th anniversary

Published on Monday, November 6, 2023

By: Annie Oeth, aoeth@umc.edu

Photos By: Jay Ferchaud/ UMMC Photography

Their class years differ. Some wore starched white caps and dresses while others started their careers in scrubs. What alumni and faculty from the University of Mississippi Medical Center School of Nursing share is a commitment to care that spans decades.

The School of Nursing celebrated its 75th anniversary Friday with a luncheon and afternoon reception. The day drew current and former faculty members, graduates, students and supporters to mark the milestone.

“Today gives us a glimpse of a future of confidence and hope,” said Dr. Tina Martin, interim dean.

The UMMC nursing program was created in 1948 as a Department of Nursing within the School of Medicine, which was located in Oxford. After the School of Medicine was moved to Jackson, nursing classes followed in 1956. The nursing program officially became the School of Nursing in 1958, with Christine Oglevee as its first dean.

"I wish Christine Oglevee was here to see this day,” said Jeanette Waits, professor emeritus. “She would be so proud of our School of Nursing.”

The 75^th anniversary comes as the School of Nursing anticipates a new home on the UMMC campus. The new 106,000-square-foot School of Nursing will include about 78,000 square feet of new construction. The University Rehabilitation Center, a 28,000-square foot building, will be renovated to house simulation and skills laboratories. Eight simulation suites will include control booths and debriefing rooms, and the building will also include suites for virtual and augmented reality and primary care.

Ground was broken on the project earlier this year, and construction will begin in 2024.

From a program that got its start with $60,000 from the state Legislature for equipment to one with state-of-the-art simulation labs, the School of Nursing’s changes “are nothing short of amazing,” said Dr. LaDonna Northington, a 1979 alumna who retired as associate dean for academic affairs of the School of Nursing.

“We’ve grown from one to three BSN programs on two campuses with 10 graduate tracks and two doctoral programs. We’ve gone from skills labs where we watched 35-millimeter films to avatars and manikins that do everything but walk,” she said. “We have come a long way.”

The School of Nursing has educated more than 9,100 students from 1948 to 2023, said Dr. Audwin Fletcher, assistant dean for graduate programs and professor of nursing. That number should reach 10,000 just as the new School of Nursing facility opens.

The school’s 2023 enrollment is 873, including 410 undergraduates, 399 graduate students and 64 doctoral students. Of the School of Nursing’s 96 faculty members, 74 percent hold doctoral degrees.

Dr. Joseph Tacy, associate dean for academic affairs and associate professor of nursing, highlighted the school’s future, including the addition of a traditional BSN program in Oxford, which will start in summer 2024, as well as larger facilities in Jackson that will accommodate a 25% increase in enrollment.

“It’s an exciting time to be at the School of Nursing,” he said. “I can’t wait to see what happens in the future.”