Luise Elise Carrie
Doctor Honors Late Wife’s Legacy
As a tribute to his late wife, Dr. James Carrie established the Luise Elise Carrie Memorial Scholarship to support women in the College of Science. “Luise recognized that women have been chronically underrepresented in the sciences,” James said. “Her preference would have been that this scholarship be awarded to female students who demonstrate a high level of performance and perseverance in pursuing their goals.”
Having spent years battling cold, hunger and filthy living conditions as a war refugee, Luise understood what it meant to persevere. In 1945, at 10 years old, she found herself fleeing across Germany with her family in a horse-drawn covered wagon to escape the invading Russian Army. They found safety upon reaching an area occupied by the U.S. Army, but still faced many difficulties as they tried to stabilize their lives and plan for a brighter future.
After finishing high school, Luise moved to the United Kingdom and worked for a German family until she was awarded a scholarship at a nursing school near London. As a senior, she assisted in the emergency treatment of a patient with acute cardiac symptoms, during which she met James. Luise later received her registered nurse qualification, and after spending a decade in London, the couple moved to the United States with their three sons, two of whom graduated from Texas A&M.
James hopes that Luise’s story inspires recipients of this scholarship to more fully appreciate the value of education and persistence. “I hope they know that graduation is not the end of the learning process,” he said. “One should strive to use the special skills and knowledge acquired at university to make the world a better place, whether or not there is an immediate reward.”