Gift from Jim '68 and Alice Bunn '69 endows nursing scholarship at Monmouth College

by Barry McNamara

Monmouth, Ill. (04/14/2026) — A couple with a long history of giving back to their alma mater have chosen Monmouth College's new nursing program as their next area of focus.

Jim Bunn '68 and his wife, the former Alice Young '69, have established the Bunn Family Endowed Nursing Scholarship, a permanent fund that will provide ongoing scholarship support for Monmouth students pursuing nursing. Their gift strengthens the college at a pivotal moment, ensuring that students have the resources they need to succeed in a high-demand profession.

"Monmouth College had a big effect on us, including career prep," said Alice, who came to campus from nearby Kirkwood and studied biology with professors such as Bob Buchholz and John Ketterer. "At the time, a lot of kids were coming to Monmouth from the Northeast - people from New York City, from Boston. So it was a cultural thing, too, and it really opened our eyes to a lot of things.

"Through the years, we've supported Monmouth in a number of ways, including a scholarship honoring Dr. Buchholz," continued Alice, a member of Kappa Delta. "We talked to Gena (Alcorn) about the nursing program, and this time we decided to do that. It's definitely a profession that's much in need."

"All over the country, they're crying for nurses," added Jim, who joined Tau Kappa Epsilon and the swim team and was a physics major. He studied under legendary professors such as Lyle Finley and Garrett Thiessen and had TKE brothers as role models, including 1966 classmates Anthony Perzigian and Doug Carlson.

The scholarship could not come at a better time, as Monmouth's first four-year class of nursing students began their college journeys last fall. They'll be training to enter a profession that Alice knows very well. Initially, she was a high school teacher, but while working in Galesburg, she decided to earn an associate's degree in nursing from Carl Sandburg College. What followed was a long career in the field, much of it spent in Maine, where the Bunns moved in the 1970s.

"I worked at several hospitals - smaller ones," said Alice, who retired in 2017. "I worked at the Eastern Maine Medical Center, which is huge now - it was smaller then. I worked all over the place, including long-term care facilities. For the last 20 years, I worked in home health. I was able to be with my patients for several hours at a time in their home. I enjoyed that the most."

Alice considers herself fortunate that she was able to advance in her nursing career while holding only an associate's degree. "I did it backwards," she said, referring to having a bachelor's degree in biology before earning her associate's.

That said, she's pleased that Monmouth's nursing majors will enter the field with a bachelor's degree in hand.

"I advanced back then, but to advance now, you have to have a bachelor's or a master's. This nursing degree is going to be perfect for Monmouth students."

Making it Monmouth, then 'captured by Maine'

In 1964 in the Maple City, all four corners of the intersection of Broadway and Sixth Street had a tie to Monmouth College.

Going clockwise from the northwest was the sprawling TKE house, the administration building, and the home of Monmouth's president, which that year transitioned from Robert Gibson to Duncan Wimpress.

At 621 East Broadway, the southwest corner of the intersection, was the Bunn residence, home to the college's superintendent of building and grounds, Paul Bunn, and his family, including a son who was ready to head to college. He didn't have to go far, although Monmouth's ties to the Presbyterian church, rather than its extreme proximity, was the major selling point. The Bunns, who came to Monmouth from Sterling, Kansas, were active members of Monmouth's Second United Presbyterian Church, which is now Faith United Presbyterian Church, just one block south of campus.

Jim, too, started his post-Monmouth years as a teacher, working at ROVA High School in the days before it had the "W" for Wataga in its acronym. When a friend of the Bunns was accepted into a master's degree program at the University of Maine, Jim and Alice went out to visit. Jim explained what happened next.

"We just got captured by Maine," he said.

"We have the mountains, the ocean, it's great," added Alice. "There was the whole 'back to the land' movement back then. We weren't part of it, but we became it. We built our own house, cut our own wood, canned our own vegetables. We weren't dependent on others, and we were very much into organic."

After a few years, a farm down the road came up for sale and the Bunns bought it and moved there, raising a family, as well as sheep and cows, while still staying connected to Monmouth and its mission. Jim transitioned to a full-time farmer, an occupation he held for three decades before retiring five years ago. And, tying it all together, the funds to purchase the farm came from his parents selling the house at 621 East Broadway, a residence that later became college property for a few years, housing the communications team. Bunn's parents moved to Maine, living with Jim and Alice and also becoming big fans of the Pine Tree State.

The Bunns have since sold the farm to an Amish family and moved back down the road. Though they love life near the forest and won't be leaving Maine anytime soon, their pride in Monmouth College remains strong.

"We're grateful for what Monmouth gave us," Jim said. "Helping today's students - especially those entering a profession dedicated to caring for others - is something we feel good about."

Through the Bunn Family Endowed Nursing Scholarship, Jim and Alice Bunn are not only honoring their own Monmouth experience - they are investing in students, strengthening the college's strategic vision and helping ensure that future nurses are prepared, supported and proud to call Monmouth College home.

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