{"id":55855,"date":"2026-11-07T17:08:09","date_gmt":"2026-11-07T23:08:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/news\/?p=55855"},"modified":"2026-11-07T17:11:19","modified_gmt":"2026-11-07T23:11:19","slug":"college-of-nursing-celebrates-50-years","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/news\/college-of-nursing-celebrates-50-years\/","title":{"rendered":"College of Nursing Celebrates 50 Years of Preparing Healthcare Professionals"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

STEPHENVILLE, Texas \u2014 Five decades of nursing education and service were celebrated Saturday as Tarleton State University welcomed alumni, students, faculty, staff and university leaders to commemorate the College of Nursing\u2019s 50th anniversary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Three
Tarleton State College of Nursing Dean Dr. Donalyn Alexander, left, joins alumni Rita Mason, a member of the program\u2019s inaugural class, and Dr. Elizabeth Palmarozzi, Vice President for the Division of Health Sciences, during the university\u2019s celebration of 50 years of nursing education.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The celebration honored the program\u2019s history, recognized the contributions of its graduates and highlighted its continued commitment to advancing nursing education and addressing the state\u2019s evolving healthcare needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFor 50 years, Tarleton State nurses have made a life-changing, generational impact on families and communities across Texas and beyond,\u201d said Tarleton State President Dr. James Hurley. \u201cOur connection to rural Texas gives this work special meaning. We understand that where a person lives should never diminish their access to compassionate, quality care. That commitment to service has defined our first 50 years and will continue to guide us for generations to come.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The university\u2019s nursing legacy dates to its inaugural class of 1976, with 16 students earning their degrees in 1978. By the end of 2027, Tarleton State is projected to have awarded more than 4,000 undergraduate and graduate nursing degrees, preparing generations of healthcare professionals to serve patients and communities across Texas and beyond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Among those recognized during the celebration was Rita Mason, a member of the program\u2019s inaugural class of 1976. Mason received the College of Nursing Legacy Award in recognition of her contributions to the program\u2019s early history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mason began nursing school at age 45, pursuing what she described as her dream career. Her involvement extended beyond the classroom, as members of the inaugural class helped establish traditions that remain part of the program\u2019s history, including the creation of its nursing pin and cap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur 1976 graduates helped establish a tradition that continues today,\u201d said Dr. Elizabeth Palmarozzi, Vice President for the Division of Health Sciences and founding dean of the proposed College of Osteopathic Medicine (Applicant Status \u2013 Seeking Accreditation). \u201cThey entered the nursing profession with the preparation they received here and a commitment to putting that knowledge into practice.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The anniversary comes during a period of continued advancement in healthcare education at Tarleton State. Earlier this year, the university elevated its nursing program to the College of Nursing as part of a broader restructuring of the Division of Health Sciences, expanding opportunities for students and strengthening its commitment to healthcare workforce preparation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the past five decades, nursing education at Tarleton State has expanded beyond Stephenville to include programs in Fort Worth and Waco, with multiple pathways for students pursuing bachelor\u2019s and master\u2019s degrees. The college also has demonstrated continued academic success, earning full approval from the Texas Board of Nursing in January 2025 after graduates achieved a 94.67% first-time pass rate on the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses in 2024. The baccalaureate degree program in nursing and the master\u2019s degree program in nursing at Tarleton State University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs we celebrate 50 years of nursing education, we recognize both the responsibility and the opportunity before us,\u201d said Dr. Donalyn Alexander, Dean of the College of Nursing. \u201cOur commitment to preparing exceptional nurses is especially important in rural Texas, where access to quality healthcare can shape the future of entire communities. We are building on a strong foundation while preparing students to meet the evolving healthcare needs of our state.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

STEPHENVILLE, Texas \u2014 Five decades of nursing education and service were celebrated Saturday as Tarleton State University welcomed alumni, students, faculty, staff and university leaders to commemorate the College of …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":595,"featured_media":55859,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"advgb_blocks_editor_width":"","advgb_blocks_columns_visual_guide":"","wds_primary_category":382,"footnotes":""},"categories":[382,424,425,421,427],"tags":[430,432,439,469,470,456,457,459],"class_list":["post-55855","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-homepage","category-arts-events","category-campus-community","category-featuredstories","category-science-health","tag-academic-affairs","tag-alumni","tag-division-of-health-sciences","tag-our-impact","tag-state-impact","tag-stephenville","tag-tarleton-state-fort-worth","tag-tarleton-state-waco"],"acf":{"image":false},"author_meta":{"display_name":"jpartin","author_link":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/news\/author\/jpartin\/"},"featured_img":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/65\/2026\/11\/Tarleton-State-Nursing-50-Years.jpg-300x200.png","coauthors":[],"tax_additional":{"categories":{"linked":["_Homepage<\/a>","Arts & Events<\/a>","Campus & Community<\/a>","Featured Stories<\/a>","Science & Health<\/a>"],"unlinked":["_Homepage<\/span>","Arts & Events<\/span>","Campus & Community<\/span>","Featured Stories<\/span>","Science & Health<\/span>"]},"tags":{"linked":["Academic Affairs<\/a>","Alumni<\/a>","Division of Health Sciences<\/a>","Our Impact<\/a>","State Impact<\/a>","Stephenville<\/a>","Tarleton State Fort Worth<\/a>","Tarleton State Waco<\/a>"],"unlinked":["Academic Affairs<\/span>","Alumni<\/span>","Division of Health Sciences<\/span>","Our Impact<\/span>","State Impact<\/span>","Stephenville<\/span>","Tarleton State Fort Worth<\/span>","Tarleton State Waco<\/span>"]}},"comment_count":0,"relative_dates":{"created":"Posted 12 hours ago","modified":"Updated 12 hours ago"},"absolute_dates":{"created":"Posted on November 7, 2026","modified":"Updated on November 7, 2026"},"absolute_dates_time":{"created":"Posted on November 7, 2026 5:08 pm","modified":"Updated on November 7, 2026 5:11 pm"},"featured_img_caption":"","series_order":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55855","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/595"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=55855"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55855\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":55864,"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55855\/revisions\/55864"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/55859"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=55855"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=55855"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=55855"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}