The Laura Murie Leafgren Nursing Scholarship

The Laura Murie Leafgren Nursing Scholarship was established in 2006 by a gift from Judge Harold F. and Jeannette White in honor of Jeannette’s sister, Laura. Laura was a lifelong nurse who was loyal to her calling to serve others. The Laura Murie Leafgren Nursing Scholarship award is given to a student in their junior or senior year of undergraduate study in the College of Nursing. This scholarship is to be used in support of students attending The University of Akron who are dedicated to pursuing a career in the health-care profession. Recipients will be selected by the Office of Student Affairs in the College of Nursing.

Mrs. Leafgren was a health-care professional for more than 40 years. She began her career during her teens as a nurse’s aide and received her RN from Akron City Hospital School of Nursing at Fallsview and Akron General Hospital. She received her BSN from The University of Akron in 1963 and in 1968. After the six-day war, Mrs. Leafgren went to Israel and worked one year for Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem. Upon her return, she and her husband moved to California, where she earned her MSN from UCLA in 1976. From 1980 to 1997 she worked for the VA Hospital and was known as a strong advocate for her patients. Mrs. Leafgren taught at Cal State in Los Angeles and worked per diem for many hospitals in Los Angeles, so she would be free to travel with her husband, who taught school and had summers off.

Judge and Mrs. White established this scholarship to honor Laura’s dedication to the health-care profession by benefiting students who are enrolled in the College of Nursing. Laura is survived by her husband of 50 years, Ronald Leafgren.