Betty E. Perry

My husband was appointed to be the first president of FIU while the school was being created. We had been married for two years and had two children, and I wanted to go on to school and get more degrees. Since my husband had helped create FIU, I figured I would go there if it had a nursing program. Dr. Knowles was the first dean of the Nursing Program, and she had to fight for every dollar she could. It was a new program that was not common in our country at that time. I was able to attend all of the classes that I wanted to attend. It was a very frantic time for me and my children, but I had a lot of fun accomplishing my goal. It was also an accomplishment to complete my two years and graduate in the first class at FIU in 1974. I had hoped to become a nursing administrator, but my degrees turned out to be my own personal insurance for my family in times of calamity. My career never really developed beyond my first job at a school in Ohio. I'm grateful to all who helped put the College of Nursing on the map. It gave my life real purpose and substance. We had a very serious and dedicated student body full of people who were dedicated to strengthening their futures.