by Joy Bowick, Public Relations

With designated contributions to the YES campaign, the Ann Darlington Edwards Endowed Chair is pushing toward the $1 million it needs to fund the salary of a distinguished professor in the MUSC College of Nursing.

Currently having reached $500,000, the Endowed Chair fund joins YES in its quest to bond the MUSC family through the process of giving back to MUSC, staff, faculty, students and ultimately the greater community.

Founded in 1997, the chair is named for Ann Edwards, wife of MUSC president James B. Edwards. It seeks to bring MUSC's College of Nursing to an entirely new level of excellence.

Ann Edwards' nursing career began as a hospital volunteer. She later entered the Cadet Nurse Corps, earning her professional in an accelerated program at Columbia Hospital School of Nursing.

“A career in nursing is also a foundation for contributing to your family, church and country,” Ann Edwards said. She describes the chair as a symbol of all the nurses who have distinguished themselves in their service to humanity.

“Funding the chair will enable the College of Nursing to recruit a nationally known nursing leader who will conduct innovative and critical research,” said Mikie Hayes, director of development, College of Nursing. “Because the strategic plan of the College of Nursing is focused on caring for the community, it stands to reason that the person recruited will most probably conduct research/clinical care in that particular field.”

Endowed chairs are rare in colleges of nursing with fewer than 60 reported in the United States.

The Medical University currently has 12 fully funded and five partially funded chairs. The Ann Darlington Edwards Endowed Chair brings MUSC a step closer to its goal of 20 chairs by the year 2000. “It's exciting to see the College of Nursing move forward with its first endowed chair,” MUSC's first lady said. “The funds will allow an outstanding professional to come to MUSC and contribute to our mission. It says that MUSC's College of Nursing is a leader in our state and in our country.”

For more information on the Ann Darlington Edwards Endowed Chair, contact Hayes at 792-8421. Or for more information on how to earmark your YES dollars for the Ann Edwards Endowed Chair, contact the Annual Fund Office at 792-1973.