New Scholarship Program Honors Tuskegee’s First Nursing Graduate

Della D. Sullins was recently honored posthumously by members of her family with an endowed scholarship named in her honor at Tuskegee Univerity in Alabama. Retired colonel and 1968 Tuskegee alumnus Palmer Sullins Jr. presented a donation in his late mother’s name during the university’s annual Fall Convocation. The Della Davison Sullins Endowed Scholarship will provide financial support for nursing students.

Sullins was among three nursing students who came to Tuskegee to obtain the necessary coursework to earn a degree when then-Tuskegee Institute launched the state’s first bachelor’s degree nursing program in 1948. When the trio completed that coursework and readied for graduation on May 16, 1949, Sullins had the highest grade point average among the three, which slotted her to walk first during the ceremony — as well as into the university’s and state’s history books.

Sullins was born in Indian Land, South Carolina, in 1917. During her 33-year career with the Veteran’s Administration Hospital in Tuskegee, Sullins served a staff nurse, supervisor, assistant chief, instructor, and clinical specialist. She was the first African-American nurse appointed to the Alabama Board of Nursing by then-Gov. George C. Wallace — an appointment she held for five years. She served as an adjunct faculty member at Tuskegee for 15 years, as well as the director of the practical nursing program at Southern Vocational College and as the first African-American faculty member at Troy University. She passed away in 2014 at the age of 96.

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Get the JBHE Weekly Bulletin

Receive our weekly email newsletter delivered to your inbox

Latest News

California State University Sacramento Launches Black Honors College

Officially launching for the fall 2024 semester, the Black Honors College will support students from all backgrounds who study Black history, life, and culture by providing them with a specialized curriculum and mentoring opportunities.

Higher Education Gifts or Grants of Interest to African Americans

Here is this week’s news of grants or gifts to historically Black colleges and universities or for programs of particular interest to African Americans in higher education.

In Memoriam: Norman B. Anderson, 1955-2024

Dr. Anderson was the assistant vice president for research and academic affairs at Florida State University at the time of his death. He had an extensive career in clinical psychology, which led him to become the first African American chief executive officer of the American Psychological Association.

Georgia State University Launches Program to Support Black Women in Tech

While Black women account for roughly 29 percent of the Georgia State University undergradaute student body, they represent only 10 percent of the university's computer science majors and 18 percent of the computer information systems majors.

Featured Jobs