Loretta Hanner Bardewyck, first Dean of ASU's College of Nursing, passed away on Monday, December 10, 2007, at her home in Phoenix. Born September 3, 1915 in Glencoe, Illinois, Loretta devoted her life to advocating for improving nursing education in Arizona. According to Ellamae Branstetter, one of the first three faculty members, Loretta played a major role in determining the need for and the feasibility of developing baccalaureate nursing education programs in Arizona.
In 1957, as Director of Nursing at Good Samaritan Hospital in Phoenix, Loretta was looking forward to some of the upcoming developments that the hospital was implementing, including "rooming in" for obstetric patients, rocking chairs in pediatrics, and units for intensive care. Guy Hanner, Loretta's husband, had bigger plans for her. Guy told her she "oughta go and take the job [at the school of nursing], but they had to agree to certain things, one being that the program had to be a league-approved program and they would be an automonous unit with their own budget and select their own students." With Dr. Hanner's encouragement, Loretta took the position, with an annual salary of $9,000, as Director of the School of Nursing within the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Arizona State College at Tempe (ASCT) .
In 1957, the School of Nursing opened its doors in the basement of the Matthews Hall with three faculty members, three registered nursing students and three basic students. The School of Nursing became an autonomous College in 1964.
According to Branstetter, Loretta possessed an intuitive administrative ability, an open, friendly manner, energetic curiosity, outstanding intellectual ability, and the gift of stimulating creativity and encouraging collaborative efforts of faculty and students. Loretta was held in high esteem by University Administrators, her friends, and the community -- and was truly loved by students and faculty.
Loretta was instrumental in obtaining funding for the Tempe nursing building, which was dedicated in 1966. The appropriation for the nursing building was a morale booster for the faculty and students who had despaired of ever having adequate accommodations.
Loretta, who officially retired from the College in 1971, never truly left. Upon her retirement, she wrote the book: History of the College of Nursing, Arizona State University, 1957-1982. Loretta was an integral part of the College's history and Alumni and was committed to on-going growth and progression of the College.
Although Loretta will not physically be with us to celebrate our 50th Anniversary Gala in April, we know she will be with us in spirit. Loretta was very excited about celebrating our College's history and the exciting places that we are headed! In Loretta's own words "What seemed an impossible dream 50 years ago is reality today."
