The PCC-HMH Schools of Nursing Alumni Association Endowment Fund is a permanent tribute to the profession of nursing in the Pasadena area – both at Huntington Memorial Hospital (HMH, now known as Huntington Health) and at Pasadena City College (PCC). While the field of nursing has grown to include men, historically this field was “women’s work,” and the HMH/PCC Schools of Nursing Alumni Association, which created the fund, was predominantly female. Over the decades of its activity, the Association has supported nursing education scholarships for PCC’s nationally regarded nursing program.
Names change but commitment to nursing stays
The history of the nursing profession in our area stretches back to 1900, when Pasadena Hospital Training School for Nurses opened, the first nursing school affiliated with what is now Huntington Memorial Hospital. Two decades later, in 1924, the name of the nursing school changed to Pasadena Hospital School of Nursing, and an affiliation was established with Pasadena Junior College (now Pasadena City College) to support the instruction of nursing.
The name changed again 12 years later to the Huntington Memorial Hospital School of Nursing, and by 1946, HMH established an affiliation with the University of Southern California to allow nursing students to obtain a bachelor’s degree and a registered nurse credential simultaneously. More than 1,000 nurses graduated from HMH’s nursing institution between 1902, when a class of seven graduated, to 1956, when the HMH program transitioned into Pasadena City College of Nursing.
In the decades following this transition, the PCC School of Nursing continued to expand its partnerships with numerous nursing and advanced academic programs, including California State University, Los Angeles, to bolster the training opportunities.
A Permanent Legacy for Nursing
The HMH/PCC Schools of Nursing Alumni Association ceased being an active group in the early 2000s. Many members were aging or passing on; active members wanted to ensure continuity in its scholarship program.
In 2001, the Association donated $90,000 to Pasadena Community Foundation to establish the PCC-HMH Schools of Nursing Alumni Association Endowment. It rewards academic and clinical excellence in nursing with scholarships; it also promotes and preserves the values of service and caring that are the foundation of this profession. In 2024, the fund stands at $190,000 and has awarded nearly $92,000 in scholarships to PCC nursing students.
