J. Herman and Jean Swartz Graduate Fellowship in Nursing

This scholarship was established by Jean Kay Swartz after the death of her husband, J. Herman Swartz. Financing a college education at Washington State College (now WSU) was not easy for Herman in the 30s, the time of the Great Depression. Like many others, he had numerous odd jobs. But when he received a scholarship to attend graduate school in bacteriology, he was able to devote full time to his studies which culminated in his master’s degree in 1939. Jean recalls Herman saying “I want to give other students the opportunity to go to college and have the advantage of higher education. It was a benefactor who provided the money for my scholarship and now I am in a position to be the benefactor.” Herman passed away January 1996, but Jean demonstrated that fervent belief in helping students by providing additional support for research projects and their tuition costs.