George Bemis ’60, MD has made a landmark estate commitment—currently valued at $16 million—to the University of Vermont (UVM) in honor of Nancy Wicks Bemis, RN, his late wife, who studied nursing at UVM in the late 1950s. As the largest gift in the history of the College of Nursing and Health Sciences (CNHS), the bequest will significantly expand access to nursing education through scholarships for undergraduate and graduate students. 

The Nancy Wicks Bemis, RN Endowment will provide scholarship assistance for undergraduate and graduate nursing students with financial need who demonstrate potential to become future leaders in the profession. Priority will be given to students who are Vermont residents. Once fully invested, the endowment is predicted to more than double the annual donor-funded scholarship aid currently designated for nursing students.

Nancy Wicks Bemis overcame countless obstacles in her pursuit of nursing. She began her education at UVM but had to pause her studies after marrying George in 1958—at the time, married students were not permitted in the nursing program.

Following George’s acceptance to the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, distance put her UVM degree out of reach. Still, her desire to be a nurse never wavered. After raising a family, she completed her nursing education at age 50 at the College of St. Catherine in St. Paul, Minnesota, intending to pursue missionary health work. 

But just three months later, she was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer and given a three percent chance of surviving five years. Defying the odds, she lived 26 more years, traveling with George and using her nursing skills during his USAF tours. Nancy passed away in 2017, at 77, after a brief battle with ALS.

“UVM was and is of great importance to both Nancy and me,” said Dr. Bemis. “I am pleased to be making this commitment to the College of Nursing and Health Sciences as a lasting tribute to Nancy.”

Bemis has been a steadfast supporter of UVM for more than 50 years and is a strong proponent of nursing and medical student education. After graduating from UVM in 1960, he earned a medical degree from the University of Cincinnati in 1964. He led a distinguished career as an OB/GYN doctor in the U.S. Air Force that spanned nearly 30 years. He earned an MBA from the University of St. Thomas in 1988 and retired from the Air Force in 1991 while in the process of a promotion to full colonel. 

Now retired from his medical practice, he lives in Lakeville, Minnesota. 

News of the scholarship commitment has been met with an outpouring of gratitude across CNHS.

“By removing financial barriers to enrollment in our nursing program, the Nancy Wicks Bemis, RN Endowment will pave the way for us to welcome countless students who call Vermont home,” said Rosemary Dale, chair of the Department of Nursing.