The Atwood Family
The Atwood Family Commitment to Education: “The Alan R. and Nancy Stead Atwood Endowment” will fund a chair in American history to ensure that talented teachers will continue to inspire new generations of NCS students to high achievement.
Dr. Nancy Stead Atwood, NCS Class of ’62, had an early affinity for science. She cites NCS Chemistry Teacher Mrs. Bradley as an inspiration, remembering, “I enjoyed the subject and caught on rapidly.” Winning the Flag Day prize for chemistry in her junior year was one of Nancy’s most memorable moments at NCS. She credits the foundation she built with Mrs. Bradley as staying with her throughout college, medical school, and her career. “The quality of instruction by the faculty at NCS is better than that of the graduate assistants assigned to teach introductory collegiate courses,” she said.
Nancy has enjoyed a distinguished career as a talented physician and teacher of physicians. A graduate of Duke University Medical School, she taught at that institution and in Georgia. She founded North Georgia Oncology and Hematology and as president grew it into a business that today supports four medical oncologists.
She and her physician husband Alan, now retired, remain actively interested in current affairs and believe strongly in the impact and lasting value of education. That is why they are making a major commitment to NCS in the form of a $1 million gift to the school: “The Alan R. and Nancy Stead Atwood Endowment” will fund a chair in American history. In making this gift, they are continuing a tradition of philanthropy practiced by their own parents, who invested in their children’s education and schools.
Why American history? Nancy greatly admired another of her NCS teachers, Mrs. Acheson. “I still have Mrs. Acheson’s published books, and use them,” she says. “Mrs. Acheson made U.S. history come alive.” We are grateful to the Atwoods for helping to ensure that talented teachers will continue to inspire new generations of NCS students to high achievement, as they did Nancy.