Nursing school celebrates 50th anniversary

Tyler—The University of Texas at Tyler held a kickoff event to celebrate the School of Nursing’s 50th anniversary. The event paid tribute to the school’s beginning in 1975 as the Division of Nursing under Texas Eastern University, which became UT Tyler. 

Some highlights of the last five decades include the first class of traditional BSN students beginning in 1982 and the Palestine Distance Initiative being approved as UT Tyler’s first off campus instructional site in 1995, followed by the Longview expansion in 1997. In 2008, the school introduced the PhD in nursing, the first doctoral program at UT Tyler. 

“The School of Nursing has been a cornerstone of UT Tyler since its inception,” UT Tyler president Julie V. Philley, MD, said. “It’s truly an honor to celebrate its 50th anniversary, and we couldn’t have gotten here without support from the UT System and the East Texas community.” 

Since its establishment, the nursing program has grown into one of the best programs in the state. Its enrollment comprises more than 25 percent of UT Tyler’s overall enrollment. The school currently offers three bachelor’s degree options, five master’s degrees, three doctoral programs and six certificates. 

“We’ve accomplished so much, from pioneering preceptorship in Texas to offering the third online PhD in Nursing in the nation,” School of Nursing dean Barbara K. Haas said. “This was a celebration of 50 years of educating nurses, conducting research and, most importantly, inspiring care for the community.” 

The event featured recognition for two of the school’s founding mothers, Marian Rowe and Doris Riemen. Riemen served as the chair of the Division of Nursing. The third founding mother, Barbara Cushing, passed in 1998. 

“Fifty years ago, we were established as a BSN completion program,” Riemen said. “We enrolled 24 students a year and thought our Selectric typewriters were super. So much has changed, but what hasn’t changed is the School of Nursing’s culture of caring for each other, our students and East Texas.” 

With a mission to improve educational and health care outcomes for East Texas and beyond, UT Tyler offers more than 90 undergraduate and graduate programs to more than 10,000 students. 

SOURCE University of Texas at Tyler