Grateful and Giving Back
Mary (Judge) Merchant RN ’61 and Dr. James A. Merchant
Mary Louise (Judge) Merchant found her inspiration for a career in nursing from her mother, Mildred.
Mary’s father died when she was young leaving her mother with three daughters to raise. So Mildred returned to nursing, working nights as the nursing supervisor at Mary Greeley Hospital in Ames, Iowa.
“I would wait for her in the mornings to hear the stories of what happened during the night,” Mary said. “I was always impressed by her and her varied career.”
Mary later gained her own exposure to nursing working summers at Mary Greeley under the supervision of another experienced nurse. Upon graduation from Ames High School, she decided to pursue her own path in nursing and enrolled in the Mercy Hospital School of Nursing, then a diploma program in Cedar Rapids. This foundation of learning led to a long career of accomplishments.
“I think nurses continually learn,” Mary said. “Every patient presents new challenges, requires certain skills and demands an understanding of rapidly changing medical knowledge. Mercy prepared us well for our first positions.”
Mary would go on to earn a BSN from the University of San Francisco and an MSN from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. Both opportunities were supported financially by Federal Traineeship Grants. Professional opportunities took the Merchants to Iowa, North Carolina, London and West Virginia.
During the years when their five children were young, Mary provided in-service nursing education at Mercy Hospital in Iowa City, spent time as an instructor in nursing at North Carolina Central College, and worked as a part-time clinical nurse at Memorial Hospital in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Mary’s husband, Dr. James A. Merchant, had his own impressive career working in occupational medicine and environmental health. Now professor emeritus in the University of Iowa Colleges of Public Health and Medicine, he is a renowned expert in occupational and environmental health, rural health and public health policy. He served as founding dean of the University of Iowa College of Public Health.
Returning to Iowa in 1981, Mary earned a PhD in educational psychology from the University of Iowa. She then worked as a research assistant in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. Her work included organizing and presenting classes for first-year medical students completing summer research projects. She also worked with a research project team that examined patient compliance with medical guidelines, retiring after 16 enjoyable years.
“I am very proud of her,” James said of Mary’s accomplishments. “It was a lot of hard work, but I think a very fulfilling career.”
Both Mary and James benefitted from scholarships that helped forge their academic accomplishments and career paths, which is why they make it a priority to give back to future students. Mary initially funded a scholarship program to honor her mother and then helped to establish an endowed nursing scholarship with her 1961 Mercy classmates to benefit financially challenged students.
In addition to these Mount Mercy scholarships, the Merchants also support scholarships at Iowa State University to honor James’ parents (who both taught at ISU) and graduate public health scholarships at the University of North Carolina where James earned his Doctor of Public Health degree.
“We recognize we would not have been able to finish our degrees without a lot of help,” James said. “So we are very happy to provide this scholarship support.”
After a highly successful career in the profession, Mary has advice for the next generation of nurses. “They need to not get discouraged,” she said. “In the beginning it seems so difficult and there is so much to learn. Concentrate on gradually building up a base of knowledge that can be applied to clinical work.
“Also, listen to your patients. They have wonderful stories to tell. You can understand their illnesses, the effects of treatments and the challenges they face. What they tell you can be communicated to the healthcare team to enrich their care. The patient is the center of all that nurses do.”
Mary and James have also made provisions in their estate plan to establish the Dr. James and Mary (Judge) Merchant RN ’61 Endowed Scholarship to provide support for nursing students with financial need.
If you have interest in impacting others through education, contact Lonna Drewelow at 319-286-4408 or ldrewelow@mtmercy.edu to build your legacy at Mount Mercy University and support what matters most to you and your family.