Emma Bell Felder, PhD, RN, born May 20, 1927 in Magnolia, Arkansas, passed on November 17, 2008 at her home in Galesburg, Wisconsin at the age of 81 years from complications related to kidney disease. Dr. Felder was married to ex-husband, Harvey Felder, Jr. and was the proud mother of three children: Harvey Felder, III, Sarita Felder and Zettabell Williams.
Emma, the youngest of nine children, graduated from Hampton University in Hampton, Virginia where she earned a bachelors degree in Nursing. Later, she earned a masters degree from the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee and a doctorate from Marquette University in Milwaukee.
Dr. Felder taught at UWM for 23 years and retired in 1996 after leaving a legacy of creative options for students and faculty in the teaching of minority students. In 1986, Dr. Felder designed and developed the Center for Cultural Diversity and Health (CCDH) and was its first Founder and Director. The purpose of the CCDH, believed to be the first of its kind in the country, was not only “to teach students and health professionals how to develop skills in culturally competent health care, but also to guide research and influence public policy related to disparities in care between minorities and the general population” according to a press release announcing that Felder was receiving an award for her contributions to the growth of UWM.
A Charter Member of the Association of Black Nursing Faculty, Inc., (ABNF), Dr. Felder was one of the first Black nursing faculty members to join ABNF after it was founded in 1987 in Lisle, Illinois. Emma served as co-Editor of The ABNF Journal, official journal of the Association of Black Nursing Faculty, Inc., for a number of years, and was an active member of the organization. Emma received many awards and was inducted into the Hampton University School of Nursing Hall of Fame in 1991.
The family requests that memorials be sent to the National Kidney Foundation.
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