Professor Emerita of Nursing Jane Vincent, Ed.D., R.N., passed away on Tuesday, October 26, at Reid Health. Vincent was the example of servant leadership, earning local and state recognition for her leadership in nursing education.

Jane Vincent

She was passionate about being a nurse and that passion carried through to serving others through teaching, mentorship, and philanthropy.

IU East Chancellor Kathy Girten remembered Vincent for the impact she had on campus and the community.

“Jane’s contributions to IU East are wide ranging. She had a great passion for teaching and nursing. This passion continues to benefit our campus and community yet today — and it will for years to come,” Girten said.

In the community, Vincent was the first woman to serve on the Reid Hospital Foundation Board of Directors. She completed three terms, one as the board president and one as chair.

She also wanted to encourage the quality of life for families and caregivers of Alzheimer’s patients. Vincent organized and facilitated the first Alzheimer’s support group in the state, a commitment she maintained for over 20 years.

As a teacher, Vincent educated and mentored thousands of nurses throughout her 35 years. While part of the IU East School of Nursing and Health Sciences faculty, she taught graduate level courses online. She taught at IU East from 1980 to 2000, initially joining the faculty as an assistant professor. Vincent worked with nursing students to overcome various obstacles during their education, and she was a mentor who cared about the future of her students. She also taught at Ivy Tech and was the assistant director of education for Richmond State Hospital.

Karen Clark, dean of the School of Nursing and Health Sciences, said Vincent was a treasure to the campus and nursing.

“Jane’s commitment to nursing education and the nursing profession was unwavering,” Clark said. “She advocated for her students and our programs, first as a faculty member, as director of the A.S.N. program, and through her service on the School of Nursing and Health Sciences Advisory Committee. She was an exemplary role model for those of us in the nursing community. She will be missed greatly.”

In her retirement, Vincent remained an active member of the IU East campus community and attended events such as the Nursing Gala, Retired Faculty Breakfast and the Spirit of Philanthropy.

Vincent received various recognitions for teaching and service. She received the 1992 Educator of the year Award from the Richmond Chamber of Commerce. Teaching awards include the Distinguished Public Service Award from the IU Council of Nursing Faculty in 1997; the Teaching Excellence Recognition (TERA) 1997 and 1999 from IU East; the 2000 Distinguished Service Award from the IU School of Nursing Alumni Association; a Faculty Colloquium on Excellence in Teaching (FACET) Award in 1998; IU East Helen Lees Award; a Teaching Excellence Recognition Award; The Lifetime Achievement in Nursing Award in 2002 from IU East Nursing Faculty; the State of Indiana Sagamore of the Wabash distinction in 2002; and the IU East Chancellor’s Medallion in 2014.

“I was pleased to recognize Jane with the Chancellor’s Medallion award,” Girten said. “Jane was so welcoming to me when I arrived in Richmond and she always took an interest in our students, programs and activities. Her support ranged from nursing to the arts and her presence will be greatly missed.”

As a 1953 Richmond High School graduate, Vincent received a Distinguished Alumni Award from the RHS Alumni Association in 2002. She was a lifetime member of the association.

Vincent and her late husband, Wayne Vincent, were long-time stewards to IU and the state of Indiana. Wayne passed away in December 2017. As stewards to IU, the Vincents supported the arts and nursing programs on IU campuses including the Herron School of Art and Design, the Jacobs School of Music, the IU and IU East School of Nursing and Health Sciences, and IU East’s annual Whitewater Valley Arts Competition.

The Vincents were inducted into the Indiana University Presidents Circle in October 2018.

Vincent received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 1957 and her Master of Science in Nursing in 1980, both from IUPUI. She earned her Ed.D. from Ball State University in 1991 while transitioning her invaluable experience in nursing to develop and forward the nursing program at IU East. More information about Vincent’s meaningful contributions to IU East can be found at https://www.iue.edu/tribute/.

Services for Vincent will be at 1 p.m. on Saturday, November 20, at First English Lutheran Church, 2727 E. Main Street in Richmond.  A reception will follow. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial contributions to the IU East Nursing Fund, c/o IU East Office of Gift Development or to First English Lutheran Church.