USC Aiken has received a gift of $350,000 from the estate of Henry Pickens Cato to establish a scholarship to support future generations of nursing students.
The donation will establish the Henry P. Cato and Lisa Jones Cato Endowed Scholarship Fund for Nursing at the university to provide scholarships to full-time students accepted into USCA’s traditional BSN or RN-BSN nursing programs.
The scholarship is designed to support five USCA nursing students per year with approximately $2,500 per student. USCA nursing students must demonstrate both good grades and demonstrated financial need, as well as a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher, to be eligible for the scholarship.
A longtime advocate for quality education, Cato believed in the transformative power of helping people who want to improve themselves. He died on August 16, 2022, after battling an illness that kept him in hospitals for many days, weeks and sometimes months in his final years.
“The care Henry received from the nurses and medical support teams was invaluable to his quality of life,” said the co-executors of Cato’s estate. “By establishing a nursing scholarship endowment in his revocable trust, Henry wanted to recognize the nurses who cared for him and provide educational assistance to future nurses.”
USCA Chancellor Dr. Daniel J. Heimmermann, the Aiken Partnership Board and the university’s School of Nursing extend their sincere thanks to Cato for his generosity. The donation will be managed to ensure that the USCA School of Nursing continues to educate highly qualified nurses who can provide safe, high-quality health care.
“The Henry Pickens Cato endowment will significantly expand our scholarship offerings and provide a permanent source of critical financial support for our nursing students,” said Dr. Katie Chargualaf, dean of the USCA School of Nursing. “This targeted support is designed to enable them to complete their education and thereby improve the health outcomes of individuals and communities.”
Cato married Lisa Renee Jones and was a successful real estate investor. He was a board member of the Aiken Polo Club and an avid tennis player at the Aiken Tennis Club.
“Henry loved people and had a way of connecting with people from all walks of life,” said the co-executors of his estate. “He was quick to smile, said kind words and made you laugh. He was a very compassionate person who loved to do good and help others.”
The USCA School of Nursing plans to add a classroom in the Alan B. Miller Nursing Building later this year to honor Cato’s legacy.
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