Dorothy and Luther Christman Endowed Scholarship Fund for Nursing

The Dorothy and Luther Christman Endowed Scholarship Fund for Nursing was established in 2002 to honor Luther Christman, PhD, RN, FAAN, an American nurse, professor of nursing, university administrator and advocate for gender and racial diversity in nursing.

In 1972, Dr. Christman became the first dean of the Rush University College of Nursing and vice president for nursing affairs at Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Medical Center. With support from Rush leaders, he moved to implement all the components of his plan for nursing, which would come to be known as the Rush Model for Nursing. The plan included the integration of practice, education and research; a quality assurance program; unit decentralization; levels of practice; primary nursing; the practitioner-teacher role; and a self-governing professional staff organization. Programs offering the clinical doctorate, doctor of nursing degree and the combined PhD?DNSc were initiated.

Dr. Christman helped establish the National Male Nurse Association in 1974, which became the American Assembly for Men in Nursing in 1981. He was a strong supporter for the recruitment of male nurses, believing that diversity would make the nursing profession stronger.