The passing of beloved Faculty Emerita Betsy Bampton
The VCU School of Nursing is sad to share news of the passing of Betsy Bampton, Ed.D. (B.S.’60/N; Cert.’80/N), an associate professor emerita, alumna and dedicated supporter of our school.
Betsy served as a faculty member at our school for 50 years before retiring in 2015. A mentor to many undergraduate students, she was instrumental in growing our RN to B.S. program from its beginnings as a blended program with the traditional B.S. cohort to a distance learning program that evolved into its current online format. Her leadership resulted in thousands of graduates of the RN to B.S. program and a cadre of nursing leaders in Virginia and beyond. Betsy also authored a book that traces our school’s history, “MCV/VCU School of Nursing – A Proud Heritage — 100 Years of Nursing Education.” She was a tireless advocate for our school and was a volunteer for the MCV Alumni Association for many years.
Betsy initially retired in 1992 only to come back part time as the RN to B.S. academic advisor.
In a 2015 Connections magazine article about her retirement, she credited her career longevity to a workplace that allowed her to bloom where rooted.
“I never dreamed I would stay there all this time. But I had so many different things I was involved with and taught at so many different levels… I never wanted to move on,” she said.
A two-time alumna of our school, she received her B.S. in nursing at the MCV School of Nursing in 1960, her M.S. in Maternal-Child Nursing at the University of Maryland in 1965, her OB-Gyn Nurse Practitioner Post-Masters Certificate at the VCU School of Nursing in 1980, and her Ed.D. at the College of William and Mary in 1987.
Betsy will be greatly missed by the SON family and all who knew her. A Memorial Service to celebrate Betsy’s life will be held at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Betsy Bampton RN to B.S. Scholarship, established at our school in her honor at her retirement to carry on her nursing legacy. Please make your check payable to the ‘MCV Foundation,’ include ‘Bampton Scholarship’ on the check memo line and send it to: VCU Development and Alumni Relations, Box 843042, Richmond, VA 23284-3042 or online at www.support.VCU.edu/give/nursing and choose Bampton Scholarship on the drop down menu.
