Record Accession Number: 1074
First UVA program NURS Second UVA program
Comments on UVA programs
Home town Martinsville Home state VA
Comments on Home town and state
Home town classification Small town
Comments on Home town classification
High school classification Public
Comments on High school classification
Was your high school co-ed? Yes
Comments on Co-ed high school
Did you come directly from high school to UVA? No
Comments if not directly from high school Attended Roanoke College for 2 yrs
Important activities before coming to UVA
Comments on important activities Those of most young girls ages 16-18-dating and enjoying the social life at college. I worked in a psychiatric hospital (hartford retreat in Hartford, Conn) summer of 1940.
If married, was it before, during, or after UVA? After
Comments on time of marriage
Was your spouse associated with UVA? other
Comments on spouses association with UVA
Mother's first degree Mother's first college
Mother's second college Mother's second degree
Mother's third college Mother's third degree
Father's first degree Father's first college
Father's second college Father's second degree
Father's third school Father's third degree
Comments on parents' schooling Very good. There was a close relationship with our instructors and we knew they were always available to us.
First sister's level of schooling Second sister's level of schooling
Third sister's level of schooling First brother's level of schooling
Second brother's level of schooling Third brother's level of schooling
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Family members at UVA
Comments on family members at UVA Aunt, Eliza Wray Barry-School of Nursing
Mother's first occupation Mother's second occupation
Mother's third occupation Father's first occupation
Father's second occupation Father's third occupation
Comments on parents' occupations
Date entered UVA Date left UVA
First other college First other concentration
First other degree First other dates of attendance
Second other college Second other concentration
Second other degree Second other dates of attendance
Third other college Third other concentration
Third other degree Third other dates of attendance
Fourth other college Fourth other concentration
Fourth other degree Fourth other dates of attendance
Fifth other college Fifth other concentration
Fifth other degree Fifth other dates of attendance
Comments on college experiences
Why did you choose UVA?
Comments on choice to attend UVA Finishing my second year at Roanoke College I realized that I was not that interested in pursuing further the liberal arts program. After working in the summer at a psychiatric hospital as an aide, I decided that nursing was my best bet -since I had an aunt who had graduated U.Va. nursing school I applied for admission.
How did you finance UVA?
Comments on financing my parents
Why did you choose your UVA concentration(s)?
Comments on choice of concentration
Description of UVA classroom experiences
Comments on classroom experiences excellent-all the instructors at the nursing school were exceptional. In addition, we were also taught by the medical school faculty in several subjects.
Description of UVA professor interactions
Comments on professor interactions
Who impacted your life at UVA?
Comments on life impact My instructor Miss Mabel Montgomery. She taught anatomy, materia medica, and physiology. She was very intelligent and always prepared and expected the best you had to give in her classes-she did not suffer fools galdly.
Most memorable UVA educational experience
Comments on memorable educational experience It was very intense. The student nurses had to assume responsibility for many services sooner than usual because most of the graduate nurses had joined the military (WWII). Our days were long. In addition to classes during the day we worked on the wards for 8 hours and longer if necessary. We had no full days off.
UVA weekend activities
Comments on weekend activities All days were the same since we didn't have any days off. The best we could get was 1 7-hour day a week. We dated on weekend nights, but we still had curfews.
UVA extra-curricular organizations
Comments on extra-curricular organizations There was no time for any extra curricular activity. I did take a nursing management course on "the hill" for 1 semester, but still had to work 8 hours.
Important local, state, national, and international issues while at UVA
Comments on important issues The war was the international topic; most of us planned to join the military on graduation ( I applied, but was turned down for medical reasons).
How interest in issues was expressed
Comments on how interest was expressed as above
UVA housing
Comments on housing dormitory
Likes and dislikes about housing
Comments on likes and dislikes Rooms were small with 2 to each room and since very often one would have night duty it would make sleeping during the day hard on both.
Where were meals eaten
Comments on meal location UVA hospital staff dining room
Did you interact outside of UVA?
Interaction detail
Memories of Charlottesville
Comments on Charlottesville memories It was a small town of maybe 17,000. The University itself was small, maybe 2,000 students. Most of the students, including med students, were in uniform. I saw very little of the area outside the Univ. area- very few students had cars, so you walked or rode the bus.
Did you feel part of UVA community? Did you feel part of community?
Incidents that caused these community feelings We couldn't participate in any activity because there was no time; we were not allowed to attend frat parties. There were no sororities. We attended very few athletic events because we were working.
Vivid UVA memories
Comments on vivid memories I cannot think of any one experience and although we worked hard and had little free time, I always recall those 3 years with fondness. We made such good friends that have lasted all these many years. I was challenged and was able to meet that challenge. I got a very good medical education that allowed me to assume a head nurse's job the day after graduation.
Did marital status affect UVA experiences
Comments on influence of marital status A great deal. When we were married my husband was on the medical staff at the U.Va. hospital. With that came acceptance into the faculty life at the University-it was then, I think that I truly began to feel a part of the University.
Did cultural background affect UVA experiences
Comments on influence of cultural background It made it easier for me to move into the life as a wife of a faculty member.
Did UVA prepare you for post-UVA life?
Comments on preparedness yes
Most significant post-UVA events
Comments on most significant event marriage to a physician, my 4 children
Personal factors that affected professional life
Comments on personal factors The work ethic that I observed in both of my parents, particularly my mother whose strength and preserverance brought us through the depression of 1929. My husband's dedication to his medical practice.
Other factors affecting life after the university
Comments on other factors Working as office manager for my husband in his private practice, having to return to the work place when he retired early for medical reasons. My husband's death.
First post-UVA job First job dates
Second post-UVA job Second job dates
Third post-UVA job Third job dates
Comments on post-UVA jobs
First post-UVA volunteer position First volunteer dates
Second post-UVA volunteer position Second volunteer dates
Third post-UVA volunteer position Third volunteer dates
Comments on volunteering
Do you think of yourself as a career woman?
Comments on career woman question
Barriers faced in work and volunteering
Comments on barriers question none
Current marital status
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Current age range
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Number of children
Comments on number of children
Current employment status
Comments on employment status
Additional comments I graduated the nursing school in 1943. At that time we were not asked to become members of the UVA Alumni Assoc. It was not until the early 1950's that we were considered members. I was head nurse on a segregated unit in UVA hospital from graduation until I started my family. Several members of my class of '43 served in the military during WWII and the Korean War. I would like to see those women recognized in some way by the University. After my husband retired from his medical practice, I began work at the UVA Health Sciences Center in 1978 on the staff of the Dept. of Utilization Review as a review coordinator. I retired in 1995 at age 73. I feel very fortunate to have this experience b/c it allowed me to see and become part of a very rapidly changing health care system and to understand more fully why a change was necessary.

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