By Robert W. Dalton
Beth Wallace ’82 knew she had some big shoes to fill when she agreed to return to Wofford as the college nurse in 1990. The owner of those shoes, Dorothy Beadles “Dot” Halligan, quickly put her at ease.
“Knowing I was taking the place of a nurse who had been doing this work for decades, I was quite nervous,” says Wallace, vice president for campus life and dean of students. “I was six months pregnant at the time with my third child. Mrs. Halligan was most gracious and generous with her time and attention.”
Halligan, who served as the Wofford College nurse from 1959 to 1990, died April 2. She was 93.
Halligan was a Virginia native who earned her nursing degree from the University of Virginia. She and her family moved to Spartanburg in 1956. She worked in area hospitals before coming to Wofford, where she lived in the campus infirmary with her husband, Bill, and their four children.
After retiring, Halligan moved to Pawleys Island, S.C., where she enjoyed almost daily walks on the beach. She was an active member of Pawleys Island Presbyterian Church, volunteering with the Presbyterian Women and in many church outreach programs.
After 19 years of beach life, she moved to the Columbia Presbyterian Community in Lexington, S.C.
Halligan’s family gave a substantial gift to have the first floor of the Blackwell-Quattlebaum Center for Wellness and Counseling Services named in her honor. Halligan attended the dedication of the newly renovated building on Feb. 24.
“Mrs. Halligan served the college well for many years, setting the stage for the care we are able to provide for our community today,” says Wallace. “I am most grateful for her service and legacy.”