Bamberger Colby Presidential Endowed Chair

Overview

Three presidential endowed chairs at the University of Utah – in human genetics, the health sciences, and the College of Nursing – have been established through the generous estate plans of Mrs. Helen Bamberger Colby, who died in October 1997. Mrs. Colby, who suffered from Alzheimer’s disease, made plans in 1988 to establish a bequest to benefit the University of Utah Health Sciences Center, in recognition of and appreciation for the excellent medical care she had received through the years.

A daughter of Katherine and Irving Lowe, Helen was born in Salt Lake City in 1909 and graduated from East High School before attending the University of Utah. She was married not long after graduation to John E. Bamberger, a prominent member of the Utah financial community. Until Mr. Bamberger’s death in 1944, the two shared their lives in a treasured home on Walker Lane, one of the first homes constructed in that area of the city.

In 1955 Mrs. Bamberger married Ivan R. Colby, with whom she shared a lifelong love of animals. They raised champion Thoroughbred horses together on a ranch in Riverton, Utah, and raced and showed their horses throughout the West. They also raised and showed purebred dogs, and were active in the American Kennel Club and the Humane Society. The Helen Lowe Bamberger Colby Presidential Endowed Chair in Nursing currently supports a distinguished nurse scholar for the benefit of gerontological nursing research, scholarship, and teaching efforts. The University of Utah College of Nursing is indeed grateful for her foresight and generosity.

Chair Holders

Ginette Pepper, PhD, RN, FAAN (First Chair Holder)