OCCC nursing scholarship honors a father’s legacy

The Oklahoma City Community College (OCCC) Foundation announces the establishment of the Jim & Judy Archer and Ed & Eva Pope Nursing Scholarship, a generous endowment donated by two families with deep ties to OCCC’s nursing program and a desire to honor the life of Jim Archer.
The scholarship was established by Mrs. Archer and her four daughters when Mr. Archer passed away in November. Three of the four daughters, Dr. Robin McMurry, Professor Kay Wetmore and Professor Cindy Milam, are nursing faculty at OCCC, and the fourth, Chris Eskew, is a librarian at a Yukon elementary school.
There are eight nurses in the Archer family, and four of them started their training at OCCC. Among the eight nurses, two master’s degrees, a PhD and one doctor of nursing practice degree have been earned. Their specialties include labor and delivery, education, pediatrics, surgery, intensive care, emergency medicine, oncology, community health and adult and pediatric sexual assault forensic nursing. Eskew, the librarian, also earned her master’s degree.
The largest contribution to the scholarship thus far comes from close, lifelong friends of the Archer family, hence the second family name mentioned in the name of the scholarship – Ed and Eva Pope. The Archer and Pope families have countless memories together from church and community activities to family vacations. Mr. Pope and Mr. Archer shared many interests, especially their faith and love of family.
“My dad and Ed Pope were foundational men,” says Mr. Archer’s daughter and Professor of Nursing Dr. Robin McMurry. “It’s what they did. They were men you could count on that always showed up and did the right thing. This scholarship is a perfect tribute to these two families and the impact that they made on countless number of people.
The Popes had established a trust with their life’s earnings, and to honor their parents and the great friendship of the two families, a significant gift was made to the Archer scholarship by daughters Rebecca Rose and Maria Bonner.
“It is with sincere thanks that we honor these families who have invested in the future of our students training for the greatest helping profession,” says OCCC President Jerry Steward. “This endowed scholarship will forever support our students and forever honor these families.”
President Steward honored the Archer and Pope families at the OCCC Board of Regents meeting Monday, Jan. 22, 2017.
Nursing students now benefit from the endowed scholarship, currently valued at more than $111,000. To learn more about the Jim & Judy Archer and Ed & Eva Pope Nursing Scholarship, or other ways to give to the OCCC Foundation, visit www.occc.edu/foundation/ or call the OCCC Foundation at 405-682-7591.
OCCC enrolls more than 20,000 students annually. The college is currently the largest adult basic education provider in the state. OCCC offers a full range of associate degree programs that prepare students to transfer to baccalaureate institutions while other degree and certificate programs prepare students for immediate employment. At OCCC, students receive a quality education with small class sizes, dedicated professors and leadership opportunities. Students can choose from more than 60 major fields of study and participate in any of the 40+ clubs and organizations. For more information about OCCC, visit www.occc.edu.