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Special School of Nursing Timeline
from Widener Magazine, Volume 32, Number 2, Fall 2021 — Celebrating 200 Years of Excellence (1821–2021)
1971
FIRST CLASS PHOTO
The school’s first graduating class at Widener awarded degrees to 14 students.
SCHOOL OF NURSING HISTORY
1965
Theresa Lynch was ready for retirement from Penn Nursing when she was approached by Dr. Ronald Wells to discuss the development of a nursing education program in Delaware County. Inspired by the vision and mission of the program, Dr. Lynch pushed off retirement to serve as founding and interim dean.
1965
The Crozer Foundation of Chester is authorized by the state to grant bachelor of science in nursing degrees through the College of Nursing of the Crozer Foundation.
July 1970
The Crozer College of Nursing is absorbed by PMC Colleges as a four-year bachelor’s program.
1972
PMC College’s School of Nursing receives the final accreditation from the National League of Nursing.
1973
Patricia Scahill (second from left) is the first nursing major to join the university’s Army ROTC program.
1981
The Burn, Emergency and Trauma graduate program is created. Led by former Dean Janette Packer, the program is one of three in the nation and the first comprehensive academic program in the northeast at the time.
The Widener Community Nursing Clinic opens in partnership with CityTeam in Chester. The clinic provides students with hands-on experiential learning and offers pro bono medical care to uninsured/ underinsured individuals in Chester and the surrounding area.
1981 1994
Old Main undergoes a $1.5 million renovation to house modern lab and classroom spaces. Nursing relocates to the university’s landmark building after construction, which displayed its original brick still charred with marks from the fire that tore through the structure nearly 100 years earlier. The School of Nursing extends its program to central Pennsylvania on the Widener Law Commonwealth campus in Harrisburg.
2011
1982
In light of Widener’s shift to university status, the Center for Nursing changes to the School of Nursing.
1983
The highly anticipated Doctor of Nursing program begins a new chapter of educating future nurse scientists at Widener. Founders Hall built to house the school, launching the program into the future of nursing education with innovative learning spaces including the Center for Simulation and Computerized Testing.
2013
The school is one of just six schools nationwide recognized by the National League of Nurses as a Center of Excellence for Advancing the Science of Nursing Education.
2017
The school opens the Leadership Center for Nursing Education Research. The center received more than $400,000 in grant funding to conduct meaningful research, individually and in collaboration with other institutions, aimed at advancing the profession and the health care industry.
2020
As the Covid-19 pandemic results in nurses becoming frontline heroes, Widener’s School of Nursing celebrates its 50th anniversary. The school is recognized by the National League for Nursing as a 2020 Center of Excellence in Advancing the Science of Nursing Education, Enhancing Student Learning, and Professional Development.
