"Given the aging population in the U.S., we anticipate an increased need for compassionate, skilled nurses. Through this gift, we hope to do our bit to help address this critical issue, and at the same time, honor the U.S. Nurse Cadet Corps of World War II."
Mark Litchman
(Honolulu, Hawaiʻi) — The University of Hawaiʻi Foundation and School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene at UH Mānoa have announced the creation of an endowed nursing scholarship, The Claire B. and Mark L. Litchman Endowed Scholarship in Nursing in Honor of the U.S. Nurse Cadet Corps of World War II.
By creating a $35,000 endowment and a $2,000 expendable account to fund the scholarship, the donors are helping increase the number of nurses in Hawaiʻi and showing their support of the nursing profession. Part-time Hawaiʻi residents, Claire and Mark Litchman have a special history with the U.S. Nurse Cadet Corps as Claire served in the U.S. Nurse Cadet Corps in World War II.
The federal government established the U.S. Cadet Nurse Corps in 1943 to fill the shortage of qualified nurses during the war. The program provided young women with nursing school scholarships and stipends in exchange for military, federal, or essential civilian nursing services during the war. By the end of the program in 1948, more than 124,000 nurses had graduated from the U.S. Cadet Nurse Corps, and many of them joined the military upon completion of their training. As a result, the Corps also helped to shape the future of nursing in the U.S. Claire's sister, Julie Boonov Madsen, also served in the Corps and became a nurse anesthetist, subsequently serving in both military and civilian nursing capacities. "Nurses will always be needed," said Claire. "Nursing is a wonderful profession for anyone today, and it makes you a better parent as well. You certainly learn to be efficient." Claire Litchman.
Mark L. Litchman, Jr. is a retired attorney and former Washington State Representative. He served in the Washington State House from 1955-71 and served as the state majority leader as well. The nursing profession also runs in Mark's family, as his mother, Sophie Marks Litchman, served as a nurse during World War I and World War II.
"Nursing scholarships create powerful tools to help students fulfill their career aspirations and embark on a life of healthcare service to the Hawaiʻi community," said Mary Boland, Dean of the School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene, UH Mānoa. "We appreciate the generosity of the Litchmans, whose support will allow us to meet the financial needs of our outstanding students, and attract and retain the best and brightest nursing students."
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The University of Hawaiʻi Foundation, a nonprofit organization, raises private funds to support the University of Hawaiʻi System. The mission of the University of Hawaiʻi Foundation is to unite donors' passions with the University of Hawaiʻi’s aspirations by raising philanthropic support and managing private investments to benefit UH, the people of Hawaiʻi and our future generations www.uhfoundation.org.
The School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene (SONDH) supports the mission of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa: to provide an innovative, caring and multicultural environment in which faculty, students and staff work together to generate and transmit knowledge, wisdom, and values to promote quality of life and health for present and future generations. To better reflect Hawaiʻi's unique cultural diversity and heritage, the SONDH is committed to increasing Native Hawaiian and other underserved people in all nursing and dental hygiene programs.
