Gift from the estate of Bud and Fran Davis creates nursing scholarship and honors care provided by Heartland graduates
Normal, IL, Oct. 29, 2026 – The Heartland Community College Foundation has received a $1.2 million planned gift from the estate of Bud and Fran Davis, one of the largest gifts from a single donor in the College’s history.
The gift will create the Bud & Fran Davis Nursing Scholarship and support Health Sciences resources at Heartland.
The gift was inspired by the care the couple received from Heartland graduates. Heartland nurses and nursing assistants cared for Bud and Fran Davis, and their family chose to honor that care by investing in the students who will become the region’s next generation of caregivers.
“In speaking with Pastor Jim Davis and his wife Cynthia, I have heard about the impact that our Heartland alumni had on Jim’s parents, Bud and Fran,” said Heartland Community College President Keith Cornille. “Heartland nursing and nursing assistant graduates cared for the Davis family, and their compassion and commitment made an impact. We are grateful that they chose to carry on that legacy of care by contributing to our students who will be the caregivers of the future.”
Melvin “Bud” Davis, who passed away in 2014, held a leadership role at Farnsworth Group. Frances “Fran” Davis, who passed away in 2025 at age 95, was a McLean County native and Illinois State University graduate who taught at Trinity Lutheran School in Bloomington and in the Tri-Valley and LeRoy school districts.
“My parents, Bud and Fran, were highly impressed by a nurse working at their physician’s office, who was a Heartland Nursing graduate. Later, during a hospital visit, they met a young woman who was working full-time in the hospital while raising two children and taking courses in the HCC Nursing Program. It touched their hearts to hear of the challenges she was facing to fulfill her responsibilities and complete her nursing training, so Bud and Fran amended their wills to include the HCC Nursing Program in their planned giving,” said Jim Davis. “They did not want personal glory or recognition, but we are sure they would be very happy to know that they were able to help support the staff and encourage the students in the Heartland Community College Nursing Program.”
Few graduates touch more lives than those who enter health care. Heartland nurses and nursing assistants care for patients in hospitals, clinics, and long-term care facilities across the region, often when families need them most. Heartland’s 2026 Nursing graduates posted a 96 percent pass rate on the NCLEX licensure exam, and Nursing Assistant completions reached 268, the most in program history.
The Bud & Fran Davis Nursing Scholarship will help students pair their compassion with the technical skills and scientific training that health care careers require.
To learn more about supporting Heartland students through the Heartland Community College Foundation, visit www.heartland.edu/foundation.
