Nursing's Fagin honored at fete

Claire Fagin went out with a bang Saturday night. "I think for once the administration is louder than we are," said Hill House resident Cara Tanamachi as she watched 320 friends and colleagues of the Nursing School dean dance in the dormitory's cafeteria and bid Fagin farewell. Guests, who paid up to $1000 a couple, flocked from as close as Eisenlohr Mansion or as far away as Rhode Island for the event, which featured cocktails, dancing to live music, a salmon dinner and speeches by Fagin and President Sheldon Hackney. "This is a fitting tribute," President Sheldon Hackney said. "[Fagin] has done such wonderful things for the Nursing School and the University as a whole." "I am thrilled to be here -- Claire [Fagin] is my good friend," said Vartan Gregorian, president of Brown University and a former University provost. "In fact, 95 percent of the people here are my friends -- the other five percent I don't know." Students who lived in the dormitory said they were "surprised" to see the dining hall decorated and become the site of a black tie affair. "It's a party of old people," College freshman Sushrot Shah said. "I am surprised by how clean [the dining hall] is and how much effort they put into it." Fagin reminded her friends and colleagues that she resigned from her post over fifteen months ago, but has remained at the helm while the search committee is considering candidates. "This [evening] is a unique experience and will be etched in my mind and heart forever," Fagin said to the guests. "Thank you, and let me go." Last week, search committee chairperson Barbara Lowery said the committee was considering four candidates, but "the search is still open." Fagin has repeatedly delayed leaving to become president of the National League of Nursing in order to ease the school's transition to a new dean, but has said she will definitely step down at the end of this semester. Fagin also plans to remain on the Nursing school's faculty. The evening raised over $90,000 for the Nursing Leadership Venture Fund -- placing the Fund's total at over $1 million and near the $1.25 million goal needed to establish a professorship. Nursing Development Director Bonnie Devlin said last night that the Fund was "unique" since it was based on donations from many patrons -- unlike most professorships which come from a single donor. (CUT LINE) Please see GALA, page A4 GALA, from page A1

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