David E. Knox Memorial Nursing Fellowship
Scholarship Sponsored by Alaska Community Foundation
The David E. Knox Memorial Nursing Fellowship was created to help exceptional students obtain registered nursing degrees and to promote nursing service in Alaska’s smaller communities. It commemorates David E. Knox and his dedication to rural healthcare.
Knox came to Alaska in 1973 after serving as a surgical technician in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War, intent on a career in surgical nursing. He began his Alaskan practice in Sitka with the Public Health Service surgical unit and earned his R.N. through UAA. After ten years with the Public Health Service, he was appointed coordinator of the surgical unit at Sitka Community Hospital, where his leadership and technical skill helped the unit grow into one of the state’s foremost rural surgical programs.
The new surgical suite at SCH was named in his honor; a plaque there reads, “a beloved husband, father, mentor, and friend who selflessly served his community, patients, family, and friends.”
Applicants for the fellowship are expected to reflect the qualities Knox exemplified: compassionate patient care, meticulous organization, strong technical competence, and a committed interest in serving the healthcare needs of small Alaskan communities.