Dr. Wanda Elizabeth McDowell, 91, died Sunday, Sept. 8, 2013. She was at the forefront of modern nursing research and studies in pain management. Her career in education started at Bluffton College, (1939-41) followed by St. Luke’s School of Nursing, Cleveland, (1944), and The Ohio State University (1953-1962) where she received Bachelor degrees in Science and Nursing, Master Degrees in Guidance and Counseling, and a Ph.D in Psychology.
Her professional career started as head nurse at the University of Michigan (1944-51). She then went to Ohio State where she became Instructor of Nursing at the OSU School of Nursing (1954-62), Research Assistant (1959-1960) and Associate Professor of Nursing (1962-64).
In 1964 she became director of Research and Statistics for the American Nurses Foundation in NYC (1964-66), then was promoted to Executive Director of that organization until 1968. In 1969 she went back to the University of Michigan as Associate Dean of the
School of Nursing and became a full Professor.
In 1974 she moved back to northwestern Ohio to care for her parents, but continued as a Curriculum Consultant in Nursing for OSU Lima Branch (1974-76) then came back full circle to Bluffton College and developed their four-year Nursing Program (1976-88). In 1981 she went to China as part of the People-to-People Program. She went back as a visiting faculty member at the Chongqing Medical University, Sichuan Province, as part of an educational exchange (1985-86).
In 1988 she retired to San Antonio Texas. She donated her time as an English teacher at the University Texas, San Antonio’s Health and Science Center for international visiting scholars and scientists, sponsored by the International Visitors Alliance Inc. She became a member their board and was a Nurse Assessor for the Texas Department of Health, Bureau of Long Term Care.
In 2000 she moved to Columbus and the Westminster Thurber Retirement Village. The body of her publications and research continues to impact the healthcare industry. She spoke at the World Congress of Nursing with the United Nations in Germany after WWII, was a consultant to President Johnson as the first woman in the Department of Health Education and Welfare where she helped him enact the Nurses Training Act of 1964, and was on the Johns Hopkins Advisory Board for “Health Manpower for Long-Term Care” and many other advisory boards for nursing care and pain management. She also developed college courses on "In Death and Dying "and "The People's Republic of China: A Framework for Understanding".
She was born Aug. 3, 1922, to Byron and Neva (McKanna) McDowell in Columbus Grove, Ohio. She was preceded in death by her brother Milton and is survived by her sister-in-law Mary Jane (Roberts) McDowell and three nephews: Michael McDowell (Robin) of Bluffton, Ohio, Dean McDowell (Bob) of Palm Springs California and Shawn McDowell, Baltimore, Maryland.
A Celebration of Life service is being planned for Sunday, Oct. 27 at King Ave. United
Methodist Church in Columbus, followed by a graveside service on Monday, Oct. 28 in Columbus Grove.
In lieu of flowers, tributes may be made to Senior Independence Hospice (1001 Kingsmill Pkwy. Columbus, OH 43229); The Mennonite Home, (410 W. Elm St.,Bluffton, Ohio 45817); The Desert Winds Freedom Band (PO Box 4732, Palm Springs, CA 92263-4732); or St. Mark’s Lutheran Church (1900 St. Paul Street, Baltimore Maryland 21212 ).
