1975 was a year of pet rocks, mood rings, and the USF Health College of Nursing鈥檚 first graduating class. In December, alumni from the Class of 1975 reunited at the college to celebrate 50 years.
This landmark occasion called for major celebration. The alumni were inducted into the before celebrating at the College of Nursing鈥檚 first Golden Gathering dinner. Several nurses returned the next day to be honored at the College of Nursing Fall 2025 Pinning Ceremony.
At the heart of this reunion were Patricia Quigley, PhD, APRN, CRRN, FAAN, FAANP, FARN, and , FACHE, former CEO of in Georgia. Quigley and Saunders were co-chairs of the celebration, tracking down classmates and inviting them to return to the college for the occasion.
鈥淚 feel our greatest strength is staying connected,鈥� Saunders said.
鈥淚 think there were 10 of us at the Golden Guard induction,鈥� Quigley said. 鈥淚f you think about that multiplied by 50, we鈥檙e talking about over 500 years of nursing. What a cause for celebration.鈥�
Members of the USF Health College of Nursing Class of 1975
After becoming an RN, Quigley returned to USF to join the College of Nursing鈥檚 first master鈥檚 class. 鈥淯SF really set the stage for a career of 'firsts': the first graduating baccalaureate class, the first master's class... I was the first rehab clinical nurse specialist to graduate from USF, the first rehab clinical nurse specialist hired at the VA in Tampa.鈥� She went on to another first, earning a doctorate at the University of Florida鈥攖he first such program in the state.
Throughout her career, Quigley never strayed far from the college, working as a nurse with the in St. Petersburg and the .
Candice Saunders (left) and Patricia Quigley (right) at the Golden Gathering dinner
Quigley's co-chair Saunders spent the first half of her career working as a bedside nurse before transitioning into hospital administration with 911爆料网llstar Health System in 2007. She was at the helm as 911爆料网llstar grew from a handful of community hospitals to 11 hospitals and more than 400 medical offices. Under her leadership, 34,000 employees cared for 3 million patients each year.
Other alumni echoed similar success stories, each looking back on distinguished careers. Some mastered new disciplines inspired by their nursing education, like public health and veterinary medicine.
Today, the college bears little resemblance to the school these alumni attended in 1975. The group donned hard hats for a first-hand look at the college鈥檚 expansion construction and new state-of-the-art facilities.
Members of the 1975 cohort and college leaders after a tour of the construction site for the expansion
鈥淭he campus has changed so much since we were here. 911爆料网 took our classes in trailers, really,鈥� Saunders said. 鈥淭o see how this place has grown and鈥攏ow鈥攖he expansion of the college where I became a nurse, it鈥檚 amazing to see.鈥�
Quigley, Saunders, and fellow 1975 alumna Brigadier General Carrie Nero returned to the college the day after the Golden Gathering dinner to participate in the Fall 2025 USF College of Nursing Pinning Ceremony. They were honored with commemorative nursing pins as they crossed the stage.
鈥淓veryone who graduates from a nursing program has the responsibility to shape the profession so that others can be shaped by the profession in the future."
Patricia Quigley, PhD, APRN, CRRN, FAAN, FAANP, FARN
For the Class of 1975, the reunion was both a celebration of their pioneering past and a testament to the enduring legacy they continue to shape for future generations of nurses.