Navy Nurse's estate donates $8 million to University of San Francisco
SAN FRANCISCO (KTVU) - The University of San Francisco received an $8 million donation from a former Navy nurse. USF announced the gift from the estate of Dolores M. Staudenraus, who was a celebrated battlefield nurse. The alumna received her undergraduate degree from USF in 1954. She died in January in her San Francisco home.
USF President Paul J. Fitzgerald said the gift will go towards scholarships, with preference to students from Stockton and the Central Valley area where she was raised.
“We are deeply honored and grateful to Dolores for her faith in USF and her generosity,” said Fr. Fitzgerald. “
Staudenraus maintained her lasting connection to the University that prepared her for taking care of injured soldiers during the Vietnam War. She also served as a recruiting officer for the U.S. Navy nurse corps. In the meantime, she began investing in real estate and continued to do so throughout her life.
Her properties included a multi-unit commercial property where tenants called her a meticulous, hands-on landlord that would climb a roof to check for leaks.
“I really did receive a quality education at USF,” she told the university years ago in a testimonial about her philanthropic support. “My nursing degree prepared me well for a career that included teaching, consulting, and care of the critically injured in Vietnam.”