The University of Tulsa has announced the establishment of the Lawson Family Nursing Simulation Center and Skills Laboratory and Natalie Lawson Dooley Endowed Scholarship in Nursing to better prepare TU students in the Oxley College of Health Sciences.
The lab and scholarship were made possible through the generosity of TU Trustee Emeritus and Distinguished Alumnus David R. Lawson (BS ’70) and his wife, Leslie L. Lawson. The family has made more than 200 gifts to support vital university programs and initiatives, including an endowed faculty chair in the Collins College of Business, several endowed scholarships and TU Athletics and facilities.
David Lawson brought his business acumen to the TU Board of Trustees, serving from 1989 to 2014. He chaired the board from 2008 to 2012 and guided the university into a new era of growth and progress with the most ambitious fundraising effort in TU history. The Embrace the Future Campaign raised nearly $700 million to transform the campus.
“This new support for the TU School of Nursing stays true to the Lawson family’s philanthropic values and their loyalty to TU,” said university President Gerard P. Clancy. “The Lawsons have always sought to make a difference in the lives of our students and in our community. These new endowments will ensure bright futures for generations of TU graduates and help them meet Oklahoma’s growing healthcare needs.”
In recent years, David Lawson was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease. Leslie Lawson said these gifts are in honor of the many medical professionals who have cared for her husband as well as the couple’s daughter Natalie Lawson Dooley (BS ’95), who serves as a critical care nurse. Dooley said her father would be proud to see how his alma mater is working to improve the wellbeing of so many in the community.
The Lawson Family Nursing Simulation Center and Skills Laboratory, located in the School of Nursing’s new facility near downtown Tulsa, is being outfitted with state-of-the-art equipment to prepare TU graduates for a successful transition into healthcare careers. The Lawsons’ gift will help pay for hospital beds; vital statistics monitoring equipment; simulation mannequins; nursing supplies, such as gloves, gowns, tubing and respiratory equipment; and maintenance agreements for high-fidelity equipment, including mannequins, monitors, audio simulators and CPUs.