The Strauss Health Sciences Library is proud to present a new exhibit honoring the memory of Dr. Nancy Nelson, MD. The Nancy Nelson memorial display case, donated by the Office of Advancement, will have a permanent home on the third floor of the library outside the Tower Room. This case will frequently feature important women in healthcare and medicine. The inaugural exhibit will showcase the life and achievements of Dr. Nelson herself.
Nelson received her bachelor’s degree from CU Boulder in 1955 and her medical degree from the CU School of Medicine four years later. She was a pioneering leader in the field of pediatrics, serving as the first woman chief resident in pediatrics and the first woman president of the Denver Medical Society. She also held academic leadership roles and taught as a professor in both the CU College of Nursing and the CU School of Medicine. Throughout her career, she was a role model for women in medicine.
The Nelson family has a long-standing tradition of medical practice, and Dr. Nelson's father and grandfather were both physicians. With her brother's support, Dr. Nelson established the Nancy Nelson, MD, Endowed Award at the CU School of Medicine, which is awarded annually at graduation to medical students pursuing a career in pediatrics, family practice or internal medicine. This award is a meaningful source of financial support for those seeking a career in medicine.
Dean Emeritus Richard Krugman, MD, said, “The Nancy Nelson, MD, Endowed Award celebrates one of the most important figures in the institution’s history – one who nurtured generations of children as a pediatrician, and generations of medical students as an associate dean in our medical school.”
The exhibit featuring Dr. Nancy Nelson will be on display through the end of the academic year. If you would like more information about the exhibit or the Nelson Award Endowment Fund, please contact Lori Micho by email at: lori.micho@cuanschutz.edu.