Eldred George Mugford, in Memory of Clare Helen Mugford, RN, Scholarship Fund

The Eldred George Mugford, in Memory of Clare Helen Mugford, RN, Scholarship Fund was established in 2015 by Eldred George Mugford to honor the memory of his beloved mother, Clare, and her devotion to her nursing profession. The endowed scholarship was funded by a gift from Mugford’s estate following his death on June 22, 2015. The University of Akron was one of 15 universities across the country selected to receive a gift from Mugford, who directed that the money be used to establish the above-named scholarship for nursing students.

Born and raised in Laurium, Mich., Mugford attended local public schools and completed his high school education at the former Sacred Heart High School. He attended Michigan Technological University and Northern Michigan University and studied by correspondence with the University of Minnesota, Indiana State University, Utah State University, Oklahoma University, and the University of Florida. He ultimately earned his B.A. in communications from UW-Oshkosh in 1947 and an M.A. in public relations and cinematic Arts in 1980 from Central Michigan University.

Mugford’s professional career included owning and operating a photography agency that served professional photographers throughout the country, and he taught communications at Western Illinois University in Macomb, Ill. He also wrote for television and motion pictures and produced a highly acclaimed film dealing with autism and autistic children.

Personable, outgoing, and highly talented, Mugford was committed to higher achievement, and his professionalism while working with others or handling any given situation earned him much respect. His many hobbies included traveling, working in the garden, taking video and digital pictures, mountain bike riding, hiking, and cross country skiing.

Mugford gave up his career in the motion picture industry to look after his parents in their later years, and he was especially fond of his mother, a well-respected nurse in Calumet, Mich.

Clare Helen Mugford, also a Laurium, Mich., native and Sacred Heart High School graduate, attended the Milwaukee County Hospital’s Schools of Nursing in Milwaukee and worked there as a registered nurse upon her graduation. She returned to Laurium and was employed as a surgical nurse at the Calumet and Hecla Hospital and later Public Hospital, formerly Memorial Hospital. Clare was loved by her patients and considered by those to whom she administered care to be a dedicated nurse and humanitarian. During her long career, she specialized in caring for people in their homes, often walking in cold weather to provide treatment. If neighbors or others needed a nurse, she was always ready to respond and give advice. Clare passed away on July 21, 1994.

As specified by Eldred George Mugford in his will, The Eldred George Mugford, in Memory of Clare Helen Mugford, RN, Scholarship Fund is designated for scholarships for nursing students or students who have been accepted into UA’s School of Nursing. No student shall receive a scholarship for more than one year. Freshman candidates for the scholarship must have a high school GPA of at least 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) or the equivalent thereof, and candidates who have completed their freshman year in the School of Nursing must have a GPA of at least 3.0. Preference will be given to students with demonstrated need.

The Eldred George Mugford, in Memory of Clare Helen Mugford, RN, Scholarship Fund is established as an endowment, which will allow the scholarship to assist UA nursing students in perpetuity. The scholarship is funded with an initial gift of $25,000 from the estate of Eldred George Mugford and will receive additional gifts of $5,000 beginning in 2020 and every five years thereafter until the estate has been depleted. Additional gifts to the fund are always welcome. The endowment shall be held by The University of Akron Foundation and administered in accordance to the Foundation’s established investment, spending policies and procedures, and distribution guidelines.