UpDate - Vol. 12, No. 34, Page 3
June 10, 1993
Yet another member of Smith family earns nursing degree

     They say that people tend to follow in the footsteps of those they
respect and admire. This seems particularly true for the children of Joseph
and Elaine Smith of Lewes, Del. All six of their children are Delaware
graduates, five of them with degrees in nursing.
     The most recent Fightin' Blue Hen, Joseph Smith Jr., received his
nursing degree May 29. The entire family was present to see the last member
of this long, blue-and-gold line.
     Prominently seated in the stands were Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Smith Sr.
(While the patriarch admitted he did not attend the University, he stressed
that he did teach courses in management development on the Newark campus 
in the late 1960s.)
     Other witnesses included the youngest Smith's five sisters, who also
made up the 22 consecutive years of Delaware study: Katherine Smith Lowe,
Delaware '75; Mariann Smith Bunting, Delaware '77 '81M; Patricia Smith
Vattilana, Delaware '80; Sharon Smith Gandolfo, Delaware '82; and
Marguerite Smith Diehl, 'Delaware '83.
     Bunting, a school teacher with a degree in education, was the only
Smith who did not matriculate through the College of Nursing.
     Brother-in-law William Lowe graduated from Delaware in 1974, and
another in-law, Joseph Vattilana, received his doctorate in public
administration at Commencement May 29. Finally, Karen Furaro, Joe Jr.'s
fiancee, is a member of the Class of 1992.
     Smith admitted that his sisters influenced his decision of a college.
"There was no other school but U.D.," he said.
     Seeing the professional success of his four sisters helped him make
the decision to switch from undeclared to education and finally to focus on
a career in the health field.
     His father said the diversification and opportunities offered by
nursing also were attractive to his son.
     The only drawback of having so many members of the same family in one
profession, said Joe Jr., is that at family gatherings, nursing is all they
end up talking about.
                                        -Jenni Collins