$1 million gift honors memory of former Hendrix nurse
Gordon and Sudie A. Worsham of Dallas, Texas, have made a $1 million gift to help fund construction of the Student Life and Technology Center at Hendrix.
The gift is made in memory of Gordon’s mother, Nannie Emily Lasater Worsham, and her years of dedicated service to Hendrix College. Mrs. Worsham retired from Hendrix in 1967 after 13 years as the College’s head nurse. She also served as head resident of Martin Hall for three semesters.
In recognition of Gordon and Sudie Worsham’s generous gift, the 6,000-square-foot performance space on the first floor of the new Student Life and Technology Building will be named The Nannie Worsham Student Performance Hall. This space will be used by the College for concerts, dances, lectures, and other types of cultural programs and performances that enrich the quality of life for every member of the Hendrix community. This space will also include a portrait of Nannie Worsham and a plaque commemorating her years of service to Hendrix. Additionally, the theatre costume house at 1531 Washington Avenue, where Nannie Worsham lived when she worked at Hendrix, will be renamed the Nannie Worsham House and will be commemorated with a plaque.
Mrs. Worsham, who was a teacher before training as a nurse, began work at Hendrix on Nov. 21, 1952. An article about her retirement published in the June 13, 1967 edition of the Log Cabin Democrat reported that she "has spent virtually all of her time supervising the 11-bed, brown frame infirmary that has been located at the southeast corner of the Hendrix campus since 1918."
According to the same article, Mrs. Worsham retired one year before the expected opening of a new 20-bed infirmary being constructed north of Grove Gymnasium and east of Galloway Hall and to be named for the late Dr. T. J. Raney. Today the Raney Building houses the departments of religion and philosophy and the Marshall T. Steel Center for the Study of Religion and Philosophy.
The Worshams’ gift helped Hendrix meet the criteria to receive a $1.5 million challenge grant from the J.E. and L.E. Mabee Foundation of Tulsa, Okla.
