The College of Nursing is saddened to announce the death of Dean Emeritus Geraldene Felton on June 20, 2026 at the age of 100. Felton was dean of the College of Nursing from 1981–1997 and was instrumental in building the outstanding reputation the college holds for research and scholarship.
Born in Virginia in 1926 and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Felton joined the U.S. Army Nursing Corps in 1949. She served as an army staff nurse until 1956, including a thirteen-month tour in Korea in a MASH hospital unit. Felton continued to serve in a variety of roles – nursing supervisor, nurse anesthetist, and deputy director of the Department of Nursing at Walter Reed Institute of Research – until her retirement from the Army Nurse Corps in 1975. After retiring from the army, she joined the Oakland University School of Nursing in Rochester, Michigan, as the inaugural dean.
Felton came to the University of Iowa College of Nursing in 1981 and served 16 years as professor and dean. Under her leadership, the college’s strong foundation in research and scholarship was built. As dean, Felton focused on the development of younger faculty and the recruitment of new faculty with a solid research background. She oversaw development of the PhD program, which began in 1988 and included concentrations in gerontological nursing and nursing administration. Felton also partnered with John Tinker, director of anesthesiology at the College of Medicine, to begin the College of Nursing nurse anesthesia master’s program in 1994, the first in the state. Felton stepped down as dean in 1997 and served as executive director of the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission until 2001.
Felton earned a BSN in 1960 and an MSN in 1962 from Wayne State University College of Nursing, followed by a doctorate in nursing from New York University in 1969. She was one of the 36 Charter Fellows who launched the American Academy of Nursing (AAN) in 1973 and in 1988 became the first African American president of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. Felton was named an AAN Living Legend in 2000, a recognition given in honor of an AAN Fellow’s extraordinary contributions to the nursing profession, sustained over the course of their careers. The University of Iowa honored her with the Hawkeye Distinguished Veterans Memorial Award in 2018 and the Distinguished Alumni Forevermore Staff Award in 2019.
The college is exploring ways to recognize Dean Felton and celebrate all that she contributed to the profession. If you would like to share a message or memory about her, please do so at the link below.