Cabrini University announces it has received a transformative $1 million commitment from Maguire Foundation Co-Founders James J. Maguire (HON’13), Trustee Emeritus, and his wife, Frances, for Cabrini’s new Nursing program. This extraordinary gift will provide significant operating and capital support for the University’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program and scholarship support through the creation of Maguire Nursing Scholars, an expansion of the existing Maguire Scholars program at Cabrini.
“Cabrini is deeply appreciative and grateful for the visionary generosity and partnership of our loyal friends James and Frances Maguire,” said University President Donald B. Taylor, PhD. “We are honored that the Maguire Nursing Scholars will be an integral part of this important academic program from its inception.”
“The Maguire Foundation is delighted to support the Maguire Nursing Scholars program at Cabrini University,” said Jim Maguire, who served as the first lay Chair of the Cabrini Board of Trustees, from 1977 to 1980.
The inaugural Maguire Nursing Scholars will be among Cabrini’s first cohort of Nursing majors in August 2020. These students will gain four-year scholarship support based on financial need, academic achievement, and involvement in community service or extracurricular activities. Annual eligibility will renew with good academic standing as determined by the University, active participation in community service or extracurricular activities, and a continuing major in Nursing.
Coinciding with an expected escalation in the demand for nurses, Cabrini’s Nursing program integrates the University’s mission-based curriculum of an Education of the Heart—with its dedication to academic excellence, leadership development, and social justice—to provide Nursing students the tools to succeed in complex healthcare environments and advocate for health equity in local, national, and global communities.
“The Maguires’ gift will move us toward our goal of empowering Nursing students to embrace their personal convictions and use their passion to inform and influence education, policy, and practice in nursing and healthcare,” said Nursing Program Founding Director Jennifer Specht, PhD, RN. “The Maguire Nursing Scholars and all of our Nursing majors will graduate well-prepared to work collaboratively and confidently in complex healthcare environments while prioritizing health equity for vulnerable and underserved populations.”
The Foundation and University have long shared a commitment to helping students achieve their dream of a college education. The Maguires have directed their philanthropy through the Conshohocken, PA-based Maguire Foundation to educate tomorrow’s leaders, forming partnerships and alliances to provide educational support for students who would not otherwise have the opportunity. When the Foundation established its flagship program, the Maguire Scholars, in 2011—which grants need-based scholarships to deserving students—Cabrini was one of the first five schools selected to participate. The University has had 39 Maguire Scholars since 2011.
The Maguire Foundation, led by President and CEO Megan Maguire Nicoletti, is committed to providing support related to education, arts and humanities, and people experiencing hunger and homelessness. The Maguires’ longstanding concern for the health of all people reflects Frances Maguire’s background in healthcare.
Chairman Emeritus and Founder of Philadelphia Insurance Companies Jim Maguire received an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters and served as Cabrini’s undergraduate commencement speaker in 2013. He was also recognized with the Honorary Alumnus Award in 1980 for his exemplary service to Cabrini. The Maguires’ philanthropy has also extended to support of multiple facilities on campus. Jim Maguire’s role as chair of the Cabrini Board of Trustees came during his first term, 1974–1980. He served a second term from 1982 to 1987.
In Maguire’s autobiography, Just Show Up Every Day, he offers six core values to follow in the pursuit of a goal: preparation, passion, integrity, discipline, responsibility, and balance. These values align with the Foundation’s commitment “to improving the quality of life for people and educating the next generation of leaders” and Cabrini’s Education of the Heart.
“Because of the deepened partnership with the Maguires through this gift, our Nursing graduates will be better positioned to serve as leaders in healthcare,” said President Taylor.