Father Honors Daughters with Gift to Nursing

Bill Howton had a nearly lifelong attachment to UAB. It is the place where he earned his bachelor of arts in history in 1976. It is where he and his beloved wife, Gloria Goldstein Howton, attended concerts and lectures. It is where Mrs. Howton worked as assistant vice president and director of University Relations and where she served on the UAB School of Nursing Board of Visitors.

“My father really loved UAB,” says Lucy Arrington of Vienna, Virginia, one of Mr. Howton’s five children. “He was a lifelong resident of Birmingham, and he watched the university grow. When he and Gloria got married, his ties to UAB became even stronger.”

When the time came to plan his estate, Mr. Howton, an attorney, and an insurance executive knew he wanted to give back to the university that had played such an important role in both his and his wife’s life. Moved by the message they heard at a 2004 fundraising event for the UAB School of Nursing, Mr. Howton created the William C. Howton Endowed Nursing Scholarship in honor of two of his daughters—nurse anesthetist Emily McLean of Austin, Texas, and surgical nurse Laura Peek, who recently moved to New York after many years in Great Britain—through a provision in his will.

Mrs. Howton passed away in July 2011 and Mr. Howton in October 2011, but their love for UAB lives on through the scholarship that provides assistance to high-achieving nursing students with financial need.

Jakira Zhane MYers

A GIFT OF OPPORTUNITY

UAB School of Nursing student Jakira Zhane Myers of Decatur, Alabama, says the William C. Howton Endowed Nursing Scholarship helped her when she needed it the most.

“The scholarship was literally the last help that I needed in order to pay my tuition,” she says. “Before the notification, I was stressed and sad because I had no idea where I would acquire the money. All I could do was call my mom and try my best not to cry. Once I was notified of the award, all I could do was smile.”

Ms. Myers is forming her own strong attachment to UAB, and she hopes to work at UAB and earn her master’s degree in nursing here. “What I love most about UAB and the School of Nursing are the instructors and their dedication toward advancing our knowledge,” Ms. Myers says. “They challenge us every day to be better people and nurses.”

SUPPORT THE UAB PROGRAMS THAT MEAN THE MOST TO YOU

Contact the Office of Planned Giving at (205) 996-7533 to explore how you can make an impact on our students and programs through your estate plan.