About 20 students in the College of Nursing will benefit from a new $40,000 scholarship grant made available by the Lettie Pate Whitehead Foundation.
The scholarships will be awarded to students based on academic accomplishments and financial need. Students may apply via the college website in September to be used for the following spring semester.
“As we prepare the next generation of nurse leaders, it is reassuring to know that funds are available to support our students, allowing them to focus on their studies and clinical work,” said Jean Leuner, dean of the college.
The Lettie Pate Whitehead Foundation is a charity dedicated to supporting women in nine southeastern states. The Foundation devotes most of its resources to its scholarship program, which provides scholarships to schools and colleges for deserving female students. The Foundation maintains a special interest in nursing education, medical education and the allied health field. More than 200 institutions participate annually in the Lettie Pate Whitehead scholarship program.
Lettie Pate Whitehead married Joseph Brown Whitehead, who secured an exclusive contract from The Coca-Cola Company in 1899 to bottle and sell the drink. After her husband’s death in 1906, Mrs. Whitehead assumed responsibility for the family’s business affairs, and became one of the first women to serve on the board of directors of a major American corporation. Mrs. Whitehead contributed to a number of charities in Georgia and Virginia during her lifetime. Her oldest son created the Joseph B. Whitehead Foundation as a memorial to his father. Mrs. Whitehead established the Lettie Pate Evans Foundation before her death in 1953. Through the benevolence of these two foundations, the Lettie Pate Whitehead Foundation was formed and continues her legacy.