As time often does, the spring semester is passing quickly. On Feb. 27 we celebrated the conclusion of Black History Month with a panel conversation featuring three living legends and alumni of this school. If you did not have a chance to attend or tune in, a recording of the event will be available soon.
Drs. Betty Smith Williams, Barbara Nichols and May Wykle exemplify the best of us. Their stories of perseverance while rising to the highest levels of nursing leadership are a testament to their persistence and their professionalism.
As we heard, these women are champions for women of color and minority nurses, but their messages resound among all nurses. Their calls for a greater focus on health equity, justice, and policy and for expanding the scope of nursing across the world are consistent with the values of our school as we continue to prepare the nurse leaders of tomorrow.
It has been 100 years since Frances Payne Bolton made her gift to establish this school, and this year we commemorate that through our centennial events. Bolton herself championed nurses and dedicated her life to advancing nursing education. In those 100 years, a lot has changed and a lot of progress has been made. Yet, many of the issues faced by the speakers in their careers decades ago persist in our world today. And the need for nurses has never been greater.
Let us continue to work toward a more equitable, healthier world of tomorrow.
Carol Musil, PhD, RN, FAAN, FGSA
Dean and Edward J. and Louise Mellen Professor
Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing
Case Western Reserve University
