Spring 2005

Message from the Dean | Doctor Honors Nurse and Mother | UNM Alumna Endow Nursing Scholarship | Benefactors with Books | Achieving Our Goals is Challenging | It's Celebration Time!

Loretta and Jim Bates are self-described ‘people’ people. So it comes as no surprise that this husband and wife team is thrilled to host their sixth year of the Books are Fun book fairs at University Hospital to benefit the College of Nursing. These avid readers host the fair up to four times a year for the College, donating a percentage of their sales to the Nursing Legacy Fund, which supports needs ranging from academic programs to student scholarships.

While the Bates family hosts such fairs for businesses and hospitals throughout the state, they especially value their personal partnership with the College of Nursing and UNM. Their daughter, Jennifer, attended UNM until 1998 when a tragic traffic accident took her life.

Loretta and Jim are conscious givers. Jim says, “There are givers and takers in society, and the givers of society are always going to sleep better at night, be healthier, stronger, have more friends and for good reasons.” The couple strongly believes donating to medicine is valuable. According to Jim, “The perception is that medicine is becoming more expensive, but new technology helps people live longer lives.”

While Jim is an experienced business entrepreneur, the couple’s philosophy is “to produce income without hurting anybody.” This philosophy is why giving for the Bates family is not just about the percentage they rebate to book fair sites. Jim feels that books have a positive value for people. By offering books at a low price more families have greater access to books and save money for other important needs.

Books are only one part of the Bates family life. Outside of their 80-hour workweek this extraordinary couple participates in an active church community, and somehow finds the time to care for their elderly parents. Throughout their many activities and accomplishments they maintain, “We’re ordinary people doing essentially ordinary things.”

In the end, their interaction with people in the community is what motivates them to continue giving year after year. Loretta and Jim Bates have received a warm welcome from their College of Nursing sponsors and feel that “quality sponsors make the fair successful.” The College of Nursing is equally grateful for their support. As the need for nurses continues to grow across the nation, the College of Nursing views the Bates’ hard work as more important than ever before and feels that other businesses may follow their example.