accepted to the Ruth Bryant School of Nursing of Martins Ferry, Ohio. At the time she became a staff member of Martin's Ferry Hospital, Wykle was one of the very few African-American nurses to be working at an all-white hospital in the nation. When she attended school in Cleveland, Wykle recalled the difference it made to her when she saw African-American doctors and nurses for the first time. While living in the nurses' residence as a student, Wykle noted another nurse who took her under her wing, stating “[Seeing other African American nurses] gave me some confidence in knowing [that I] could succeed.” In 1969, Wykle took on a teaching position at her alma mater, Case Western Reserve University, because she saw it as an opportunity to be an advocate for admitting more minority nursing students. Wykle put her vision into practice, going on to direct a geriatric psychiatry graduate nursing program during her early years as a faculty member of Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing. This was significant because it opened up a large number of opportunities for nurses, specifically African-American students, to specialize in geriatric psychiatry. Once she became a dean at the nursing school, Wykle was able to maintain a high enrollment of minority students, specifically African-American applicants. She also believed that the initial low percentages of minority applicants was due to lack of encouragement in African-American communities to pursue a career in nursing as well as the need for financial assistance. Therefore, she pushed for an increase in minority faculty to serve as role models and collaborated with high school counselors and teachers to recruit more students with diverse backgrounds. Due to her efforts, the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing also boasts a minority student retention record above the national average. In 2007, the school's Board of Trustees created the May L. Wykle Endowed Professorship, one of the first to be named for an African-American at Case Western, in response to her commitment, healthcare leadership, and many contributions to nursing. Selected publications Wykle, M. L., & Gueldner, S. H. (2010). Aging Well: Gerontological Education for Nurses. Sadbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning Wykle, M. L., Gueldner, S. H. (2011). In M. Wykle and S. Gueldner (Ed.), "Conclusions and Closing Comments." In Aging Well: gerontological Education for Nurses and Other Health Professionals. (pp. 579-582). Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett Publishers Musil, C. M., Gordon, N.