Julia O. Wells was a 1918 graduate of Albany Memorial Hospital School of Nursing.
She practiced in several areas of nursing; first as a night supervisor at Memorial Hospital, then as an office nurse for Dr. A.B. VanLoon, a prominent Albany physician. Soon after Julia’s graduation from nursing school, her father died. She and her mother then moved to New York City to be near her brother. She worked as an obstetrical supervisor in a Brooklyn Hospital and eventually as an occupational health nurse in a New York City bank.
By 1930, Julia’s brother had died and her own health was failing. At the advice of her physician, she and her mother moved to California. It was not long after that move that her mother passed away, leaving her with a substantial inheritance. Julia reached out to Dr. VanLoon to leave money for the Albany Memorial Hospital School of Nursing Alumnae Association.
In 1988, the Julia O. Wells Memorial Education Foundation was formed as a separate entity from the alumnae association. The purpose of the Foundation is to provide scholarships to those pursuing their initial nursing degree and to those who are furthering their nursing education. The Foundation is governed by a board of directors. Over the past 3 decades, the Julia O. Wells Foundation has given in excess of 3.7 million dollars to support nursing education. In keeping with its original spirit and intent of Julia, the board continues to consider ways to expand the scholarship program and positively influence the nursing profession.