Ralph and Louise Bellas Endowed Scholarship
The Ralph and Louise Bellas Endowed Scholarship was established in 2015 by Ralph and Louise Bellas to assist students wanting to participate in international nursing exchanges, where they could experience medical technology, treatment, and patient care within different culture settings. Ralph Bellas joined ISU's English Department in 1965. During the 1970s, he served as director for three student groups to Brighton, England, in the international exchange program. Among his publications is Mennonite College of Nursing 1985-1995: The Flame Burns Brightly. Prior to coming to Mennonite School of Nursing, Louise Bellas practiced nursing in several U.S. cities. Public health nursing was her area of interest and expertise. She taught at Mennonite from 1972 to 1985. She was in England in 1974 to arrange an international student exchange program between Mennonite and the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton. After retiring, Ralph and Louise served in the U.S. Peace Corps in Fiji, where Louise taught at the Fiji School of Nursing and Ralph taught at the University of the South Pacific. Louise passed away in 2022, and Ralph in 2023.