The estate of Henry Pickens Cato has gifted the University of South Carolina Aiken $350,000 to create an endowed scholarship to support future generations of nursing students.
The Henry P. Cato and Lisa Jones Cato Endowed Scholarship Fund for Nursing will be created at the university to provide scholarships to full-time students who are accepted into USCA’s traditional BSN or RN-BSN nursing programs.
The scholarship is expected to support five USCA nursing students each year at approximately $2,500 per student. The students must have both merit and documented financial need, and a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher to be eligible for the scholarship.
Cato, a long-time advocate for quality education, believed in the power of helping people who wanted to better themselves. He passed away on Aug. 16, 2022 after battling an illness that left him spending a lot of time in hospitals in his final years.
“The care provided for Henry by the nurses and medical support teams was invaluable to his quality of life,” said the co-trustees of Cato’s estate. “Providing an endowment for nursing scholarships in his revocable trust was the way Henry chose to recognize nurses who cared for him and to provide educational assistance for future nurses.”
USCA Chancellor Dr. Daniel J. Heimmermann, the Aiken Partnership Board, and the university’s School of Nursing is grateful to Cato for his generosity.
“The endowment from Henry Pickens Cato will profoundly enhance our scholarship offerings, providing a perpetual source of essential financial assistance to our nursing students,” said Dr. Katie Chargualaf, dean of USCA’s School of Nursing. “This targeted support is designed to enable them to complete their education and in doing so, improve the health outcomes of individuals and communities.”
Cato was married to Lisa Renee Jones and has a successful career as a real estate investor. He was a board member of the Aiken Polo Club and an a big court tennis player at the Aiken Tennis Club.
“Henry loved people and had a way of connecting with people in all walks of life,” the co-trustees of his estate said. “He had a quick smile, said kind words, and made you laugh. He was a very compassionate person who liked to do acts of kindness and liked to help others.”
USCA’s School of Nursing has plans to dedicate a classroom in the Alan B. Miller Nursing Building later this year in honor of Cato.
