GAMECOCK
The CONnection News and Views from the University of South Carolina COLLEGE OF NURSING
OCTOBER 2014
In Honor of our Founding “Director”---Viana McCown
Dean Jeannette Andrews
Viana McCown
Inside This Issue Students Corner..................2-3 Upcoming Events................4 Viana McCown.....................5 Alumni & Development......6-7 Faculty & Staff Notes.........8-9 NO LIMITS............................10
Seventy years ago in the fall of 1944, Viana McCown was appointed the acting director of the newly established Department of Nursing at the University of South Carolina. During this time, a nursing student received two years of general education in conjunction with a three-year diploma program. Students worked 12 hour shifts (sound familiar?) and trained at Columbia Hospital (which later evolved as Richland Memorial Hospital in 1972). Ms. McCown served as the director of USC’s program until 1957, during which time the Department of Nursing became the School of Nursing and initiated the 4-year BSN program. Fifty years ago, in 1964, Ms. McCown endowed an annual lectureship, to allow students, alumni, and faculty, and the community to hear outstanding speakers deliver the annual Viana McCown Lecture. On October 17, 2014 at the 50th annual Viana McCown Lectureship, we will honor and celebrate our history and envision our future. The planning committee, led by Ruth Seigler, has been working for months to host an exciting day for all to enjoy. Leading our day will be a keynote presentation by a South Carolina “adoptee”, Dr. Phyllis Kritek, who is an internationally renowned nurse scholar, writer, educator, and leader. Her humor and insight will engage and stimulate all. Following, several alumni groups will lead us through the past seven decades of the history of the College of Nursing, sharing stories, fond memories, and the impact of the College of Nursing on our state and beyond. During lunch, our junior and senior nursing students will provide a fashion show of nursing “attire” through the decades, while being internally thankful they do not have to wear caps to clinical every day in this era. The afternoon will be highlighted with a panel of the five “living deans”, including Drs. Betty Johnson, Connie Baker, Mary Ann Parsons, and Peggy Hewlett. I am so very excited to connect with the prestigious leaders of the College who have laid the path for me as the seventh dean of the USC College of Nursing. Later in the afternoon, we will congregate in the College to see the newly renovated student area and socialize with our nursing colleagues and friends who are coming back to Columbia from all over the country. Several classes are hosting reunions for the event and entire homecoming weekend. We salute you, Viana McCown, our founding Director. Your vision, leadership, and commitment to USC will carry forth. We will honor this very special 50th anniversary in a way that will make you proud. I look forward to seeing all of our College of Nursing friends and alumni at this very special event. Jeannette O. Andrews PhD, RN, FAAN Dean & Professor j.andrews@sc.edu
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