UA-Sponsored Nursing Hall of Fame to Induct Health Care Pioneers

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Six health care workers, including one who served as president of every nursing organization in Alabama, the first African American to serve as nursing dean at a major public university in the state of Alabama, and a four-decade nursing educator and rural healthcare advocate, will be inducted in the Alabama Nursing Hall of Fame by The University of Alabama College of Nursing.

“The achievements and dedication of this year’s inductees have profoundly influenced the nursing profession and recipients of healthcare in the state of Alabama and nationally,” said Shelley Jordan, director of development at the UA Capstone College of Nursing. “We look forward to honoring them and the work they’ve done.”

The inductees will be honored Thursday, Oct. 15 during ceremonies at the NorthRiver Yacht Club in Tuscaloosa.

Those to be inducted into the 2009 class are:

Sharon Farley has worked to improve the lives for people of every gender, race, income and educational level. As director of a W. K. Kellogg project, Farley saw that many elderly citizens in two of Alabama’s poorest counties were able to stay in safe homes and had running water for the first time in their lives.

Lillian Maria Laggan spent most of her career recruiting and retaining qualified caregivers and serving as a role model to aspiring leaders in the nursing profession. Her commitment to leading by example earned her the nickname “The Chief” to those fortunate enough to serve under her leadership.

Margaret Israel Millsap created a legacy of leadership while improving nursing education and home healthcare delivery. During her career, Millsap served as president of every major nursing organization in Alabama and became the first woman and nurse named to the state of Alabama’s Board of Health.

James L. Raper is a pioneer in the care of patients with HIV/AIDS in Alabama. His combination of science and compassion of care has led Raper to become the first nurse named director of a clinic at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and the only nurse appointed to faculty in the School of Medicine at UAB.

Jeanette Latham VanderMeer has spent more than four decades “walking the talk.” The Eutaw native championed rural healthcare in Alabama and has worked tirelessly to create partnerships with the state’s community colleges to make continuing education a reality of nurses in Alabama.

Roberta Watts has had a passion for care giving since age 5 when she assisted her mother in a dental emergency. In her career as a healthcare professional, Watts held a number of gubernatorial appointments and became the first African-American to serve as nursing dean at a major public university in the state of Alabama, Jacksonville State University.

A gallery honoring these and previous Hall of Fame inductees is permanently located in the UA Capstone College of Nursing. Members of the College’s Board of Visitors submit nominations for induction into the Hall of Fame to the Hall’s selection committee. The selection committee reviews nominations and determines, by ballot, those to be inducted.