Donor Biography

Ila, and her twin sister Lila, were born March 1, 1918, in Meadow, Utah, to Rulon and Clara Williamson Stott, parents of two sets of twins. Her mother was a school teacher, who had received her teaching degree from BAC.  Her father was a farmer and a musician.  Her family was very poor. Her mother made their clothes and insisted that they dressed alike.  Ila went to school in Meadow until the eighth grade, and then she and her twin went to high school in Fillmore.  She loved high school. She made so many new friends, and she loved to go to dances.  After high school, she worked at the Brown Cafe in Fillmore. She enjoyed the work and made $1.00 a day plus $1.00 in tips. She was saving money to buy some clothes for school; it was very important to her mother that she continued her education. At that time, a girl could become a teacher, a secretary, or a nurse.  Ila wanted to become a nurse even though she did not know anything about being one.  Ila went to Holy Cross Hospital in Salt Lake City.  For seven months, she lived at Saint Mary's school for girls, a very strict girls' school run by nuns. It was lights out at ten o'clock, and then a bus would take them to the hospital early every morning.  At that time, the young women were given a wonderful education at Holy Cross; however, to pay for that education, they had to work at the hospital.  They worked six and a half a days a week and had just two weeks off a year.  They ate at the hospital and had to sign in and out of the dorm. (Like most college girls, sometimes Ila stayed out a little later than she should have.  She said she didn't know why they did not kick her out, but maybe it was because she was such a good nurse.) The girls were not allowed to get married during their three years of schooling. Ila received her RN in 1939.  Soon after she met VR, and they were married on March 9, 1940.  Ila worked in the Holly Cross nursery until her daughter was born. She and VR were very poor, as were many young people at that time. After VR stopped teaching and got a better paying job, they were able to buy a small house for $3000. When VR was drafted, Ila's cousin moved in with her to help her with her two children. Ila's favorite part of nursing was helping in surgery.  Nowadays, that is what she would have done full time; however, in those days, the nurses had to do a little of everything, including emptying bedpans.  She was a very good nurse.  She was a nurse who wore her starched white Holly Cross hat, her white dress, white shoes, and the hated white nylons.  Things have really changed since Ila was a nurse! She was a really great nurse, but her kids hated when she gave them shots.

Scholarship Criteria

Established by friends and family of Ila Magleby to award students in the Nursing Program.

Health Sciences

Nursing

Varied Dollars/yr