Shirley Nathan-Pulliam has been recognized by the University of Maryland for having a building named in her honor inside the institution’s School of Nursing. The School of Nursing’s newest, multi-million-dollar wing was officially opened on January 30, 2023, with Nathan-Pulliam, the first person of Jamaican descent to enroll there, being honored.
The president of the University of Maryland, Dr. Bruce Jarrell, commended Nathan-Pulliam for her excellent performance in the medical field. She will be granted an honorary doctorate in public health from the institution in addition to having a building dedicated to her honor. This will occur on the same day as her 84th birthday in May 2023. Nathan-Pulliam said it was an honor to get the award and that she was glad to experience such an honor. She described herself as a “champion for the poor, the underserved, and the needy.”
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Nathan-Pulliam was recognized by the institution where she began her career in nursing, according to Dr. Jane Kirshling, dean of the UM School of Nursing, in commemoration of former students who opened the way for later generations of nurses of color to pursue careers in nursing. Dr. Kirshling continued by saying that she wished for the event honoring Nathan-Pulliam to serve as an example for future nursing students, encouraging them to keep fighting for justice, health equity, and advocacy for all of Maryland’s citizens. She was referred to as “a phenomenal graduate” of the nursing program by state officials in Maryland.
Being the first person from the Caribbean and the first from Jamaica to serve in the General Assembly throughout its more than 300-year existence, Nathan-Pulliam also represented Maryland for around 30 years. Nathan-Pulliam was referred to as a trailblazer and outstanding voice in Annapolis,” the state’s capital, by Adrienne Jones, Speaker of the Maryland House of Delegates. She said that Nathan-Pulliam has long been a supporter of fairness, health, and women. She was able to get $2.6 million during her first year in office for low-income women’s breast cancer detection and treatment. A measure in 2022 that she supported was named in her honor. She also sponsored other healthcare legislation.
Nathan-Pulliam was raised in Kingston after being raised in Trelawny, Jamaica. Her education culminated at Mico Teachers’ College before she moved to the UK. She trained as a nurse there before moving to the United States, where she made a name for herself in the medical industry before making her debut in representative politics in 1994. She served as District 10’s representative for Baltimore County as a Democrat from 1995 until 2015 before being elected to the Maryland Senate in 2014. She has a lengthy history of involvement in the Jamaican and Diaspora communities in Maryland.
