Dr. Gwendoline MacDonald served as Dean of the College of Nursing from 1973 until 1987. She greeted the first cohort of students with 9 faculty. Under her leadership, the college received its first accreditation from the National League of Nursing in 1975, ensuring the school was accredited prior to the first graduating class.
In 1980, she initiated master's level programs in Adult Health Nursing, Gerontology, and Nurse Education. Prior to becoming dean at USF, Dr. MacDonald was Dean of Nursing at Michigan State University and the University of Miami. During World War II, she served in the Army Nursing Corp and was stationed in England.