The Mervyn M. Dymally Nursing School
Named in honor of one of the nation’s political pioneers, the school is housed on the Charles R. Drew University campus in a newly-built, state-of-the-art science research building.
By Yussuf J. Simmonds
Sentinel Managing Editor
The Charles R. Drew University is in South Los Angeles–like an oasis in the desert–named in honor of the African American medical pioneer, Dr. Charles R. Drew. Last Friday, at a newly-constructed nursing school, named in honor of another African American pioneer, Dr. Mervyn M. Dymally, the university opened its doors to welcome invited guests and the school’s dean, Dr. Gloria J. McNeal.
On hand to welcome the guests were Dr. Keith C. Norris, president of Charles Drew University (CDU); Dr. Richard S. Baker, dean of the College of Medicine at CDU; Assemblyman Isadore Hall (A-52), in whose district CDU is located; Dr. McNeal, the dean; Dr. Dymally and his wife, Alice Dymally; and a host of distinguished guests and visitors.
In addition to the official ribbon-cutting ceremonies, a miniature replica of the USS Charles R. Drew was highlighted. The ship was named in honor of its namesake, whose legacy included groundbreaking research on blood storage and preservation that have saved, and continue to save, countless lives throughout the world.
The Mervyn M. Dymally School of Nursing is named after California’s first and only Black lieutenant governor, who also served in the California Assembly (twice), the California Senate and the U.S. Congress. Dr. Dymally is presently a professor at the CDU College of Medicine and the director the Urban Health Institute.
According to the school of nursing in its mission statement: It is to advance the science and art of nursing by conducting nursing research and providing nursing students with education that emphasizes the health status of underserved communities for the purpose of enabling graduates to provide evidence-based nursing care with dignity, respect and compassion to all nursing clients.
