VCU School of Nursing Marks the 50th Anniversary of the Closing of St. Philip

By Angela Flagg
VCU School of Nursing

The VCU School of Nursing invites the community to a panel discussion on Wednesday, Sept. 12 to mark the 50th anniversary of the closing of the St. Philip School of Nursing, one of the first nursing schools in the state for African-American students.  

The 2012 Jackie Denise Jackson Memorial Cultural Diversity Lectureship will bring together transformative leaders in higher education and St. Philip alumnae to reflect on an important part of the VCU School of Nursing’s legacy.

Titled “Segregation and Desegregation in Higher Education: Confronting Our Past, Facing Our Future," the panel discussion will be held at 5:30 p.m. in Younger Auditorium at the School of Nursing building. It is free and open to the public. A reception will follow. To register, visit http://www.support.vcu.edu/event/diversitylecture or call (804) 828-5174 by Sept. 5.

Moderated by Michael Paul Williams, a columnist at the Richmond Times-Dispatch, the panel discussion includes a keynote address by Pia Jordan, a lecturer in the Department of Communication Studies at Morgan State University and daughter of St. Philip alumna Louise Lomax Winters (Diploma ’42/N). Panelists include Nancy Langston, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, dean and professor, VCU School of Nursing; Ed Peeples, Jr., Ph.D., VCU professor emeritus and civil rights advocate; Grace Harris, Ph.D., VCU distinguished professor and former provost and vice president of academic affairs; and St. Philip alumnae Lillian Epps-Johnson, R.N. (Diploma ’51/N), Arlethia Rogers (Diploma ’60/N, B.S. '96) and Jessye Spencer, Ed.D, Ph.D. (Diploma ’54/N; B.S.’55/N; M.Ed.’79/E).

The panel discussion is a part of VCU’s Year of Freedom celebration, which consists of various events planned for 2012-2013 to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the American Civil War and Emancipation.

The VCU School of Nursing is extending the celebration through desegregation, focusing on the legacy of St. Philip to frame a broader dialogue.

The St. Philip School of Nursing was established as a separate nursing school for African-American women at the Medical College of Virginia during racial segregation. The school operated from 1920 to 1962, when the last of its 688 graduates received their nursing diplomas.

The Jackie Denise Jackson Lectureship was established in 2000 to celebrate the life and work of Jackie Denise Jackson, a loyal and dedicated member of the VCU School of Nursing community for more than 18 years.  Each year the lectureship focuses on a topic related to understanding and promoting diversity.

For more information, visit www.nursing.vcu.edu.

Note:  Media interested in interviewing St. Philip’s alumnae are encouraged to contact Angela Flagg at (804) 828-1071. Photographers interested in video or photos of the school’s Heritage Room, which houses photos and memorabilia, are welcome.