Martha Gooding was a native of Lubbock who transferred to UT from Texas Tech and earned her BSN degree in 1973. For almost four decades, she worked as a critical care and intensive care nurse.

She delighted in serving as a mentor to younger nurses and was passionate about providing care that addressed not only the clinical situation for each patient and their family, but also their emotional needs.

Martha passed away in 2012, and her husband John, along with their sons, family, and friends, chose to honor her memory by providing scholarships to deserving nursing students in her name.

The Martha C. Gooding Endowed Presidential Scholarship in Nursing was established by the Board of Regents of The University of Texas System on October 3, 2013 to benefit The University of Texas School of Nursing. The endowment honors Mrs. Martha Gooding. Gift funds were provided by Mr. John Thomas Gooding II, Mr. John T. Gooding III, and the Martha C. Gooding Foundation for Compassionate Nursing.