SUNY Broome nursing alumni, faculty and staff gather during the Alumni Reunion for a photo.

SUNY Broome nursing alumni, faculty and staff gather during the Alumni Reunion for a photo.

In the fall of 1967, Broome Tech’s first nursing students began their education. Lois Roach headed the department in those early days, and that first class of 27 students – all of them women – graduated in 1969.

While the focus on care, compassion and excellence are the same as today, the Broome Tech nursing program operated in a much different world. There was no high-tech Decker Health Sciences Building; that opened in 1998. Instead, the Nursing program operated out of the now-demolished 901 Front St. for years in rather Spartan accommodations.

They wore white hats, white stockings and white dresses, in contrasts to today’s lanyards and multicolored scrubs. The roles they filled were different, too.

Vintage nursing memorabilia

Vintage nursing memorabilia

“In those early days, nurses had more limitations on what they could do professionally. These days, they are involved in a truly dazzling variety of roles, all the way up to highly trained nurse practitioners who see and treat patients,” reflected SUNY Broome Executive Vice President and Chief Academic Officer Francis Battisti, who was a student himself when the nursing program began.

Nursing took center stage during the recent Alumni Reunion. During the President’s reception, alumni – nurses and non-nurses alike – gathered for a ceremony recognizing the program’s half-century of accomplishment. Governor Andrew Cuomo also wrote a letter praising the program’s commitment to care, which was read to the crowd by a representative of his office.

A representative from the governor's office reads a letter praising SUNY Broome's Nursing program for its commitment to excellence.

A representative from the governor’s office reads a letter praising SUNY Broome’s Nursing program for its commitment to excellence.

“Sooner or later, everyone ends up in the doctor’s office — and chances are, the nurses there received their training at SUNY Broome. Or maybe your medical provider is a nurse practitioner, which is increasingly common – and they may have received the first step of their training here as well,” noted SUNY Broome President Kevin E. Drumm.

At the reception, college officials, alumni, faculty and staff also showed their appreciation to Professor Linda Jowett, who retired in December after 25 years in the classroom. Jowett is an alumna herself, graduating in 1979 while raising four children. She went on to earn degrees from Binghamton University, becoming a nurse practitioner specializing in family practice.

She started teaching as an adjunct in 1993, balancing teaching with her healthcare work. After a decade, she shifted the balance and began teaching full-time, focusing on training the next generation of healthcare providers.

Members of SUNY Broome's current class meet with members of the original 1969 class at the Alumni Reunion

Members of SUNY Broome’s current class meet with members of the original 1969 class at the Alumni Reunion

“Linda perhaps embodies every one of you here in that she has the common characteristics of a nurse, that include love, work and knowledge,” said 1978 Nursing alumna and retired Nursing Professor Jennifer Houghtalen.

Like Houghtalen and Jowett, many of the program’s instructors are also SUNY Broome graduates, and have demanding careers in the field.

At the end of the ceremony, Nursing Chair Susan Seibold-Simpson invited two members of that original Nursing class – now retired – up to the podium, along with two current Nursing students, both men wearing scrubs in SUNY Broome gold.

Memorabilia from the college's Broome Tech days

Memorabilia from the college’s Broome Tech days

“We can’t do it without the next generation,” said Seibold-Simpson, reflecting on the profession’s future. “Nursing is a family in this community.”