Global Health
Leadership Office

Remembering Beverly J. McElmurry

Global health leader Beverly J. McElmurry, EdD, RN, FAAN, passed on May 14, 2010. She had quietly battled an illness since last summer.

Dr. McElmurry was a pioneering nurse leader who had a global impact on the promotion of nursing and the subsequent provision of services to at-risk populations through her tireless mentorship of international students and boundless pursuit of Health Care For All. Her legacy will endure.

As Professor and Associate Dean of the Global Health Leadership Office, she mentored over 200 international scholars and countless other students and junior faculty. Dr. McElmurry developed a strong network of international nurse-researchers dedicated to promoting a leadership role for nursing in Primary Health Care (PHC). She also served as Director of the UIC CON World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre for International Nursing Development in Primary Health Care (PHC) since its designation in 1987. Dr. McElmurry was the Program Director for the UIC Minority International Research Training (MIRT) Program. She had been a faculty member in the Graduate Concentration in Women's Health since the 1980's and served on the campus steering committee for the UIC Center of Excellence in Women's Health.

Locally, Dr. McElmurry served as Director of the Chicago Health Corps and UIC VISTA programs (AmeriCorps initiatives) and implemented PHC in urban communities through nurse-led multidisciplinary collaborative teams working with community residents and lay health advocates. In addition to her many publications, she co-authored the book Primary Health Care in Urban Communities (McElmurry, Tyska, and Parker, 1999) which described lessons learned from PHC projects in Chicago.

In 1987, she received the Midwest Nursing Research Society (MNRS) Senior Researcher Award and in 2001 was honored with the MNRS Distinguished Service Award. Dr. McElmurry had been a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing since 1975. As a credit to her invaluable mentoring, she received the UIC CON Faculty Excellence Award from the Graduate Student Organization in 1988, 1992, 1998, and 2010. She also received the 2009 Joan L. Shaver Illinois Outstanding Nurse Leader Award and was selected as one of the University of Minnesota’s 100 Distinguished Nursing Alumni.

Dr. McElmurry is survived by husband William Hosken, son William H. "Chip" Hosken II, and stepchildren Terence Hosken and Leana Levinsohn; father, Jack W. McElmurry; sisters Kathleen McElmurry and Karilyn Rushforth, along with many family and friends.

The Beverly J. McElmurry Scholarship

Established in 2005, the Beverly J. McElmurry Scholarship honors her unflagging commitment to Primary Health Care both locally and globally. Donations in memory of Dr. McElmurry can be made online or by check payable to the University of Illinois Foundation and mailed to the UIC College of Nursing/Advancement Office, 845 S. Damen (MC 802), Chicago, IL 60612. For questions, please contact Nicole Sallee at nbsallee@uic.edu or 312.996.7881.

Celebrating the Life & Legacy of Dr. McElmurry

The College of Nursing hosted a memorial service to honor Beverly J. McElmurry on June 25, 2010. Over 200 family, friends, students, and colleagues gathered to celebrate Dr. McElmurry's life and legacy. Please click on the links below and wait for a moment for the video or documents to load.

Beverly J. McElmurry Tribute Video

Video of Memorial Service (Part 1)

Video of Memorial Service (Part 2)

Program & Condolences (PDF)

Photos of Memorial Service