Dr. James Patterson Establishes Endowed Scholarship at Montana Tech

Dr. James L. Patterson has established an endowed scholarship on Montana Tech’s campus. The Dr. James L. Jr. & Meryl C. Patterson Endowed Scholarship benefits nursing students. Dr. Patterson fully appreciates the difference that nurses make and sees them playing an even more critical role in the coming years as front-line health care providers.

When he made the gift, Dr. Patterson wanted to do so in honor of a group of nurses he worked with and depended on over the many years he practiced internal medicine practice here in Butte. Those nurses are Maureen Yelenich, Sara Godbout, “Marg” Kunz, Agnes “Aggie” Casick, Roberta Dapp, Wilma Wilkerson and Julie Bushmaker.

“It was an honor to work with Dr. Patterson on this gift and in setting up the scholarship,” said Michael Barth, Executive Director of the Montana Tech Foundation. “Dr. Patterson is a humble man who understands that these nurses he worked with over the years enabled him to be successful in his practice and provided excellent care to his patients. When it came time to make the gift, his first thought was to use it as an opportunity to say ‘thank you’ to them.”

“Nurses are the glue that hold the health care system together and will be even more important as providers in the years ahead,” said Montana Tech Director of Nursing, Karen VanDaveer. “The nurses honored through this scholarship made a huge difference in Butte and the scholarship will impact the lives of future nurses and improve the health of our community, our state, and beyond. It’s been a joy to get to know Dr. Patterson and have him visit our department and meet our students.”

A plaque will be placed in the Health Sciences Building on Montana Tech’s campus recognizing this scholarship and these nurses.