Patricia Hummel

Madison - Patricia A. Hummel, RN, PhD, age 88, died on Thursday, January 3, 2013 at Oakwood Village West.

Pat was born on June 29, 1924 in Springfield, Massachusetts, the daughter of George and Margaret Hummel. She graduated with a diploma in nursing from Columbia University-Presbyterian School of Nursing in New York in 1946, a BS in Health Education from Springfield College in 1950, an MS in nursing from the University of Colorado in 1957 and a PhD in psychology from the University of California -Los Angeles in 1969.

She had a distinguished career as a nurse administrator, researcher and educator. After completing her MS degree, she served as the Director of Nursing for Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation in La Jolla CA. While pursuing her PhD, she taught at the UCLA School of Nursing. In 1969 she was recruited by Dean Valencia Prock to join the faculty of the School of Nursing at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Dean Prock recruited Pat for the purpose of redesigning and expanding the graduate nursing programs at UW-Madison. During her 20 year tenure, she was promoted to Associate Professor and Professor, served as the Associate Dean for Graduate Programs for 11 years, and was recognized with an endowed professorship, the Helen Denne Schulte Professor of Nursing, from 1984 until her retirement in 1989.

She played a significant leadership role in the School of Nursing's graduate programs by overseeing the expansion of the MS program to include clinical specializations in medical-surgical nursing and psychiatric mental health nursing in addition to the specialization in pediatrics. She chaired the faculty task force to develop the PhD program in nursing. The PhD program, approved by the Board of Regents in 1984, began as a joint PhD in nursing and psychology. She served as project director/principal investigator on many federally funded research and education training grants including the Development of a PhD Program in Nursing (DHEW), Professional Nurse Traineeship Program (HHS Division of Nursing) and the Nursing Research Emphasis Grant/Doctoral Programs (HHS Division of Nursing). She was a teacher who inspired many students to discover and further the intellectual and theoretical foundations of nursing as well as its practice.

She served on major governance committees in the School of Nursing and the campus including the School of Nursing Academic Planning Council and Executive Committee as well as the campus Faculty Senate, CHS Task Force on Geriatrics and Gerontology, and the Faye McBeath Institute on Aging and Human Development.

Her interests outside nursing were equally broad. She followed sports of all types, loved to play golf and bridge, and was an avid reader of mysteries, biographies and politics. She enjoyed her annual trips to Door County and Southern California.

Pat is survived by friends of many years and by her dog, Timothy, who has been adopted by a new caring family. Pat was preceded in death by her parents, her stepfather Paul Macurda, and sister Joan Hummel.

Special thanks are offered to the senior helpers at Oakwood Village who provided wonderful care during her illness.

A gathering of friends to celebrate Pat's life will be held at CRESS FUNERAL HOME, 3610 Speedway Road, on Thursday, January 17, 2013 from 4:30 - 6:30 p.m. A funeral service is planned for a later date in San Diego, California.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Salvation Army or St. Vincent de Paul in Pat's name.