Carolyn Ladd Widmer (January 19, 1902 – January 10, 1991) was an American nurse educator and academic administrator who served as the first dean of the University of Connecticut School of Nursing. She held this position for twenty-five years (1942–1967). Career and education Widmer was born in Randolph, Vermont, on January 19, 1902. Her parents were George Ladd, a clergyman, and Mary Hamlin, daughter of Cyrus Hamlin, founder of Robert College and president of Middlebury College. Widmer earned her bachelor's degree from Wellesley College in 1923. She was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. Following stints as a pathology research assistant in Boston and a laboratory instructor at the University of Vermont, she entered Yale University School of Nursing in 1929. In late 1929, she spent several months as a public health organizer in Bogota, Colombia. After graduating as a registered nurse, Widmer became a head nurse in Yale New Haven Hospital. Appointed on the recommendation of Mary Beard, Widmer served as nursing school dean and nurse supervisor at the American University of Beirut in Lebanon, from 1932 to 1938. After returning to the United States to avoid the instability brought on by World War II, she directed the nursing refresher program at Yale New Haven Hospital in 1942. UConn The entry of the United States into World War II prompted a surge in demand for nurses and a scramble by the State of Connecticut to satisfy the need. Appointed by UConn president Albert N. Jorgensen on the recommendation of Annie Warburton Goodrich, Widmer became the first director (and a year later, dean) of the UConn School of Nursing in August 1942. She built and continually revised the curriculum, hired faculty (the first of whom was Josephine Dolan), and worked with hospitals to establish clinical experiences for students. The school graduated its first bachelor's degree cohort in 1947 and established a Sigma Theta Tau honor society chapter in 1955. In 1949 the National Committee for the Improvement of Nursing Services ranked UConn in the top 25% of nursing schools nationwide. Widmer also laid the foundations for a graduate nursing program, launched in 1971. By the time Widmer retired, the school had grown from 13 students in 1942 to 483 students (and 38 faculty) in 1967. While dean, Widmer commuted to study at Trinity College, earning a master's degree in education in 1951. Legacy After retirement, Widmer remained active in the