"Barrett and I have seen how the Nightingale Letters have motivated students and faculty and we wanted to do something to take that impact to the next level," says Rick MacKay.Board of Visitors members Rick and Barrett Brock MacKay have given a $1 million gift to create a dynamic new home for the Barrett Brock MacKay Florence Nightingale Letters Exhibit inside the UAB School of Nursing, and to highlight and spread Nightingale-inspired global nursing education, practice, and research for future generations.
The new multi-purpose space will be prominently located on the light-filled main floor of the school's planned building expansion and renovation. It will house the school's Florence Nightingale Letters Initiative, effectively becoming the hub for global nursing activity. The space will contain archives that document nursing history, showcase current global initiatives, and provide much-needed space for educational seminars, collaborations, lectures, and community gatherings. The MacKays hope to inspire students and faculty to use nursing to make life better for people around the world.
"Barrett and Rick, and the Brock Family, are cherished friends," says Doreen C. Harper, dean of the School of Nursing. "They understand the power of nursing knowledge and practice, and have invested in our students and faculty to give them a vibrant space dedicated to advancing global health education, research, and service. The potential is really limitless."
"Florence Nightingale was a fascinating person and a nursing icon who continues to inspires us," says Barrett Brock MacKay, who earned her master's from the UAB School of Nursing in 1979. In 2012, the MacKays, along with Barrett's parents Harry and Jane Brock, made the lead gift to create and name the Barrett Brock MacKay Florence Nightingale Letters Exhibit. The interactive display showcases Nightingale's personal letters that chronicle her mission to change unsanitary conditions in India and improve care for soldiers injured in the Crimean War — innovative principles that saved thousands of lives and are still adhered to today.
"Barrett and I have seen how the Nightingale Letters have motivated students and faculty and we wanted to do something to take that impact to the next level," says Rick MacKay.
Their gift to the school's building fund combines both outright and deferred giving that includes a $100,000 gift from the Harry B. and Jane H. Brock Foundation and personal contributions from the MacKays. The MacKays are co-chairing the school's Campaign Committee to raise funds for the building expansion. "The School of Nursing is a star that shines brightly in the UAB galaxy and we want to help them raise money needed to expand their building and programs," says Barrett Brock MacKay. "We believe an investment in this campaign has far-reaching benefits."
-see original story in The Campaign for UAB newsletter
