Celebrating Black History, Nursing Icons and Centennial

Barbara Nichols, Betty Smith Williams and May Wykle

A Conversation with Nursing Icons and Black History Makers

The Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing invites you to celebrate Black History Month and kick off our Centennial programming on February 27, from 3-4 p.m. in the tiered classroom of the Sheila and Eric Samson Pavilion. We are excited to welcome three distinguished alumni:

  • Barbara Nichols, DNSc, MSN, RN, FAAN (GRS '66, nursing), the first Black president of the American Nursing Association (ANA), an ANA Hall of Fame member, and American Academy of Nursing (AAN) Living Legend
  • Betty Smith Williams, DrPH, MN, MSN, RN, FAAN (GRS '54, nursing), co-founder of the National Black Nurses Association, AAN fellow and an AAN Living Legend; and
  • May Wykle, PhD, RN, FAAN (NURS '62, GRS '69, nursing, GRS '81), former dean of the School of Nursing, professor emerita, International Nurse Research Hall of Fame member, and AAN Living Legend

Smith Williams hold the distinction of being the first African American nurse to graduate from the nursing school at Case Western Reserve University. She later became the first Black person to teach at the collegiate level in the entire state of California.

Wykle is the first African American woman in nursing to have an endowed chair named after her at a major university in the United States.

The panel discussion will be moderated by Camille Warner, associate dean of diversity, equity and inclusion at the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing.

A reception in the South Winter Garden will immediately follow. Please RSVP by Feb. 20 at this link.

More information about the 2023 Centennial of the School of Nursing is available here.