Dishman gift establishes first named department at LU
Lamar University achieved a significant milestone today (Friday, Oct. 6, 2006) with the announcement of an endowment creating the university’s first named department – the JoAnne Gay Dishman Department of Nursing.
The Lamar landmark was made possible by a gift from JoAnne “Judy” Gay Dishman, her husband, George Dishman, and their family.
The Dishmans epitomize the motto of the Department of Nursing, “a spirit of caring – a vision of excellence,” President James Simmons said during a naming ceremony in the Mamie McFaddin Ward Health Sciences Building, where the new name was unveiled.
“Lamar University is honored to include Judy and George Dishman and their family among the strongest benefactors and to name its first endowed department the JoAnne Gay Dishman Department of Nursing,” said Simmons. “Future generations of nursing graduates will benefit from the generosity of the Dishman family and will identify JoAnne Gay Dishman and her mother, Edna Horn Gay, as leaders in supporting excellence in nursing education.”
He added: “Lamar is pleased to honor the Dishmans for their tradition of family philanthropy and community service, for their leadership in establishing the Edna Horn Gay Learning Center in the Department of Nursing, for their vision in providing this endowment to support the important work of the department and for their example to others who will be inspired by their lives and philanthropy.”
This gift will transform Lamar’s nursing program and, ultimately, the quality of health services in the region, Simmons said. “It will enable us to recruit top-quality faculty and students, provide research and scholarship assistance and enrich the university in many other ways. The bottom line is that it will allow the Department of Nursing to grow.”
The endowment, which is a gift to the Lamar University Foundation Inc., may be used to further the mission of the Department of Nursing and to strengthen and advance the work of the nursing faculty in teaching, research, service and professional development, as well as to support and enhance the learning experience for students. The minimum contribution to endow a department at Lamar is $2 million.
“Throughout her life, Judy has held a keen interest in the field of nursing. It was the chosen profession of her mother, Edna Horn Gay, and her beloved aunt, Clara Louise Horn, both of whom enjoyed distinguished careers as registered nurses,” Simmons said. “It is their endeavors in the field of medicine that inspire this gift in Judy’s honor.”
Judy Dishman has enjoyed an active philanthropic life, which has included chairing many fund-raising projects that benefit programs and services in Beaumont and beyond. George Dishman, who holds degrees from both Texas A&M University and Lamar, is a successful businessman and former Beaumont city councilman who served on the Lamar University System board of regents from 1981 to 1987.
The Dishmans’ children, Melanie Dishman and Austin Dishman and his wife, Phoebe, of Beaumont and Claire Dishman of New York City, joined their parents for the ceremony, attended by Lamar officials, nursing department representatives and friends.
“It is a great day, not only for the Dishman family but for Lamar University and Southeast Texas,” said Melanie Dishman, who spoke on behalf of the family during the ceremony. “Just a few years ago, we were in this building to dedicate the nursing lab in honor of my grandmother. Little did we realize that we would be back here so soon for this occasion. But that is largely because my parents, in all their wisdom and generosity, chose again to give a significant gift that would have a lasting impact on this university. Thank you, Mom and Dad, for your generous spirit. By your example, you teach us that it is truly better to give than to receive.”
In an interview, Melanie Dishman talked about the impact of the endowment.
“Over the next decade, the need for nurses will be overwhelming,” she said. “We are fortunate that Lamar University has a great facility and an outstanding nursing program right here in Beaumont. No matter where you go, the level of excellence represented in Lamar’s nursing program will serve you well.”
“This gift is especially meaningful because it speaks not only to Lamar University, but also to the whole community of Southeast Texas,” said Camille Mouton, vice president for university advancement, citing the importance of Lamar as a valuable resource for health care professions throughout the region. Lamar educates 60 to 80 percent of the area’s nurses, Mouton said.
“The Dishman family has done a great deal to foster excellence in the Department of Nursing, as evidenced in the establishment of the Edna Horn Gay Learning Center (dedicated Feb. 26, 2001).. On this basis alone, the naming of the department in Judy Dishman’s honor is appropriate,” Simmons said.
“But there is added prestige from having the department named for someone so respected. As community leaders, the Dishmans reflect the values, work ethic and integrity that Lamar University hopes will serve as a model for all students, current and future. It will be a great honor for the Dishman name to be linked in perpetuity with a great department, a great college and a great university.
“The endowment to fund the naming of the department will memorialize a wonderful couple who in their lives together have made a commitment to philanthropy at a high level and to supporting excellence and opportunity for future generations,” Simmons said.
“When an endowment allows the naming of a department as important as nursing, it has impact in perpetuity on the quality and opportunity of that department – a predictable and lasting source of flexible income that can be used for the important goals of supporting the brightest students and most accomplished faculty. In addition, funds from the endowment can be used as seed money for new programs or innovations or for the enhancement of existing programs.”
A named department has other indirect benefits, Mouton said. “Having a named and endowed department greatly enhances recruitment of faculty. When faculty publish, their department affiliation is cited, bringing prestige to the institution and differentiating Lamar’s nursing program from others. The ripple effects from such identification and recognition are far-reaching, and the impact will grow over time as endowment resources permit strategic strengthening of the department.”
“The Department of Nursing continues to grow, as well as our area of clinical and educational partnerships,” said Brenda Nichols, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “The relationships have provided essential clinical faculty partnerships, first at Christus St. Elizabeth Hospital, then Christus St. Mary and Memorial Hermann and more recently with the Medical Center of Southeast Texas. The Department of Nursing has student experiences in more than 100 agencies, organizations, hospitals and other sites.”
Because of the tremendous increase in nursing majors over the past five years, the department has reached capacity and is turning away numerous qualified applicants each year. “We annually turn away three qualified applicants for each person we accept,” Nichols said.
But the shortage of nursing faculty in the region and throughout the United States is even more critical than the shortage of nurses in general, said Simmons.
“This endowment will produce flexibility and opportunities to facilitate faculty development, to provide an incentive to recruit and retain faculty, to provide graduate nursing fellowships, to support the mentoring of new faculty, to provide student scholarships and to purchase additional state-of-the-art equipment,” Simmons said.
JoAnne Gay was born Jan. 29, 1932, in Alabama, the daughter of Forney C. and Edna Horn Gay. Shortly afterward, the family relocated to Galveston. When she was 3, the family moved to Beaumont. JoAnne, or Judy, as she is known, grew up on North Street. She attended Averill Elementary School, Dick Dowling Middle School and graduated from Beaumont High School in 1950. It was there that she met George Austin Dishman Jr., her future husband.
She attended Southern Methodist University prior to becoming engaged to George. They were married Jan. 26, 1952. During their early years as newlyweds, George served in the U.S. Air Force, including assignments in California and Germany.
In addition to being a wife and mother, Judy Dishman is an enthusiastic volunteer, serving in the Junior League of Beaumont and Magnolia Garden Club, among other organizations. She is an award-winning gardener. She also has served as a deacon for St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church.
George Dishman is a third-generation Beaumont resident who grew up in a family that farmed rice and continues to do so. He expanded his professional horizons to include oil and gas, real estate and banking.
The Dishmans share many interests. In addition to philanthropic, cultural and sports activities, they both have a fondness for exploring foreign countries and have traveled extensively throughout the world, though they call Beaumont home.
They are charter board members of Lamar University’s Friends of the Arts, which honored them at Le Grand Bal in 2005 for their longtime support of the arts and Lamar University.
Nursing education began at Lamar University in 1974 when the associate-degree program admitted its first class, Stephen Doblin, provost and vice president for academic affairs, said in reviewing the history of the department and citing examples of excellence. Nursing majors at Lamar number more than 1,000, making the Department of Nursing the second largest at the university, with General Studies being first. Nursing is one of six areas of Lamar University targeted for enhancement in the latest academic master plan.
Today, said Doblin, 60 to 80 percent of Lamar’s graduating classes are employed in local health care agencies. And numerous graduates have pursued masters’ degrees for roles as nurse practitioners, administrators and educators, he said. “We are a resource whose importance cannot be overemphasized.”
Enrollment of nursing majors has demonstrated an impressive increase over the past five years, Doblin said. The number of students admitted into the department increased by 30 percent from 2001 to 2005. The number of pre-nursing majors has seen a dramatic increase of 195 percent during the same period. A recent survey of high school seniors in Jefferson County identified nursing and medical fields as the top majors they want to pursue at Lamar University.
“But each year, we must turn away applicants,” Doblin said. “Today’s announcement will go light years toward changing that situation.”
Lamar nursing graduates attain 100 percent employment within six months of graduation. About 98 percent of senior nursing students have job offers before graduation. Those graduating with associate of applied science degrees in nursing earned a 100 percent pass rate on the latest National Council Licensing Exam for Registered Nurses. The bachelor of science in nursing program has earned three commendations from the Texas Board of Nurse Examiners.
The National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission awarded a commendation to Lamar’s master of science in nursing program for its excellent curriculum and community support. The master’s program in nursing is the first online degree in the history of the university.
In addition, the Department of Nursing collaborates with the College of Business in a new health care administration track.
