Baylor’s Louise Herrington School of Nursing Dedicates Divine Servant Statue Given by Dallas Baptist University
Contact: Whitney Cortner, Baylor Louise Herrington School of Nursing, 972-576-9117
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DALLAS, Texas (July 12, 2018) – The Baylor University Louise Herrington School of Nursing (LHSON) hosted a dedication ceremony Tuesday of its new Divine Servant® statue given by Dallas Baptist University and dedicated in honor of LHSON Dean Shelley F. Conroy.
Created by Max Greiner Jr. Designs, the world-renowned statue symbolizes Christian servanthood, complementing the nursing school’s strong tradition of integrating faith and academic excellence and the belief that nurses have been called to make a difference.
“Here at LHSON, we strive to exemplify our school motto, Learn.Lead.Serve. Our mission is to educate and prepare both baccalaureate and graduate-level nurses within a Christian community for professional practice, health care leadership and worldwide service,” said Conroy, Ed.D., M.S., R.N., C.N.E. “When we teach our students in each degree program about leadership and management, we teach them about Servant Leadership. In fact, each program has a course titled Servant Leadership required in the curriculum. We believe this Divine Servant statue perfectly depicts this concept.”
Prominently displayed in front of the new LHSON Academic Building at 333 N. Washington in Dallas, the Divine Servant statue depicts Jesus Christ washing the feet of Simon Peter. The 1,200-pound, life-size bronze sculpture was originally created in 1989, and over the years, the artistic composition has been duplicated in all sizes for colleges, churches and city landmarks, as well as smaller keepsake versions for world leaders, including Rev. Billy Graham, President and Mrs. George W. Bush and the late Pope John Paul. The artwork is based on the Bible verses, Mark 10: 43-45 and John 13: 4-17.
“DBU is thrilled by our partnership with the Baylor University Louise Herrington School of Nursing,” said Adam Wright, Ph.D., president of Dallas Baptist University. “The Divine Servant Statue was a wonderful way for DBU to honor Dr. Shelley Conroy, as well as the long-standing relationship we enjoy with Baylor University. Christ-centered servant-leadership is central to the DBU mission and no better symbol depicts this than Jesus washing the feet of one of his beloved disciples. The DBU Family wishes our very best to the Baylor Family.”
In June 2012, LHSON signed an articulation agreement with DBU that allow students who attend DBU for the first two years to receive an associate’s degree and then transfer to Baylor LHSON for their final two years to complete their undergraduate degree. Over the years, five groups of students have been admitted into LHSON from DBU, totaling 28 graduates from December 2014 through December 2017. Currently, 27 students are enrolled from DBU.
“Baylor is deeply appreciative of this incredible statue, as well as our valued partnership with Dallas Baptist University,” said Dave Rosselli, vice president for advancement at Baylor. “This collaboration between our two universities benefits not only our nursing students, but also the thousands of patients they will care for throughout their careers. In addition, we are grateful for our faithful supporters, whose passion enables us to provide the highest level of clinical education, equipping and empowering our students to become world-class nursing professionals.”
The statue dedication ceremony welcomed more than 70 distinguished guests with a morning program held in the new LHSON auditorium, followed by a prayer of dedication outside around the statue. Those joining from Baylor University included Gary Mortenson, D.M.A., dean of the Baylor School of Music and acting vice provost for administration; Rosselli; Mark Lovvorn, a member of Baylor’s Board of Regents, and members of the LHSON Dean’s Board. DBU guests included Wright; Gary Cook, D.Min., chancellor; Norma Hedin, Ph.D., provost; along with DBU vice presidents, faculty and administrators. Jim Hinton, CEO of Baylor Scott & White Health, also attended the ceremony.
“As two prominent Baptist universities in the Dallas area, we are uniquely positioned and equipped to transform education in this region,” Mortenson said. “We share a common goal to go above and beyond in our educational endeavors to help our students succeed and develop so that our graduates can help others far into the future.”
ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY
Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 17,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions.
ABOUT LOUISE HERRINGTON SCHOOL OF NURSING
The Baylor University Louise Herrington School of Nursing (LHSON) located in Dallas was established in 1909 as a diploma program within Baylor Hospital in Dallas, which is now Baylor University Medical Center, and in 1950 became one of the six degree-granting schools of Baylor University. The first Baccalaureate degrees were granted in 1950 establishing the school among the earliest baccalaureate nursing programs in the United States. In 1999, the School was renamed the Baylor University Louise Herrington School of Nursing after Louise Herrington Ornelas, a 1992 Baylor Alumna Honoris Causa, who made an endowment gift to the school. Accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing, LHSON offers Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.S.N.) degrees through a traditional program and FastBacc (one-year accelerated program). LHSON also offers an online Master of Science in Nursing (M.S.N.) Leadership and Innovation program, as well as Doctor of Nursing Practice (D.N.P.) programs to include Family Nurse Practitioner Family Nurse Practitioner, Nurse-Midwifery and Neonatal Nurse Practitioner. LHSON was featured in U.S. News & World Report for the 2019 Best Graduate Schools ranking the D.N.P. program at No. 54. 54. The Nurse Midwifery program’s top 10 ranking remains in place for four years until 2019 under the health disciplines category. In 2017 and 2018, USNWR ranked the Master of Science in Nursing Leadership and Innovation online degree program at No. 39 of the Best Online Graduate Programs. For more information visit www.baylor.edu/nursing.