Record Accession Number: 1102
First UVA program NURS Second UVA program
Comments on UVA programs
Home town Norfolk Home state VA
Comments on Home town and state
Home town classification Large city
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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? Yes
Comments if not directly from high school Had summer job as file clerk, from high school graduation until University started in Sept. 1943
Important activities before coming to UVA
Comments on important activities Church, Girl Scouts, Family, Volunteer work
If married, was it before, during, or after UVA? After
Comments on time of marriage
Was your spouse associated with UVA? student at VPI
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 no 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
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
Comments on siblings' schooling
Family members at UVA
Comments on family members at UVA
Mother's first occupation Mother's second occupation
Mother's third occupation Father's first occupation
Father's second occupation Father's third occupation
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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 UVA--4 yrs work in 3 yrs--no vacation, due to war effort
Why did you choose UVA?
Comments on choice to attend UVA I was advised to apply by a dear teacher at Granby High School, Miss Lee Tillett. She saw potential in me that I did not know about.
How did you finance UVA?
Comments on financing Mostly through Cadet Nurse Corps. A federal funded program.
Why did you choose your UVA concentration(s)?
Comments on choice of concentration I have always wanted to be a nurse. I took all the Girl Scout nursing courses.
Description of UVA classroom experiences
Comments on classroom experiences All Nursing courses were great. One difficulty was with a professor from Germany who was teaching Chemistry and hardly speak English.
Description of UVA professor interactions
Comments on professor interactions Very formal. A few of the nursing instructors were less formal on the clinical unit. I had no personal relationship with any professors.
Who impacted your life at UVA?
Comments on life impact my fellow students. We developed a close bond which has remained to this day. Nearly all this class remained in Nursing after graduation and most have attended all reunions. Also, there were 2 or 3 instructors who served as ethical role-models.
Most memorable UVA educational experience
Comments on memorable educational experience it was exceptionally good but very demanding. We went to school plus staffed the hospital every day--usually 12+ hours every day.
UVA weekend activities
Comments on weekend activities Working--there were some weekends free. When I had time I hiked, biked, swam and went to church.
UVA extra-curricular organizations
Comments on extra-curricular organizations I did not belong to any organization. I did some volunteer work on behalf of the hospital orderlies (created a class so they could complete their high school education)
Important local, state, national, and international issues while at UVA
Comments on important issues World War II Issues--living and dying. This all took place during World War II. There was an extreme nursing shortage, so the students staffed the hospital. It was all we could do to care for the patients. Also, rationing was an issue.
How interest in issues was expressed
Comments on how interest was expressed Joined the Cadet Nurses Corps. A program to ensure there would be enough nurses to go around. Also went to Voice of America broadcast at Monticello.
UVA housing
Comments on housing dormitory, rooming house
Likes and dislikes about housing
Comments on likes and dislikes The dorm was close to the hospital and it was safe to go to and from the hospital. The rooming house was more informal and was more like home.
Where were meals eaten
Comments on meal location At the hospital
Did you interact outside of UVA?
Interaction detail through relationships at church
Memories of Charlottesville
Comments on Charlottesville memories Beautiful scenery. Was colder than at home. Nice areas to take walks. Plenty of guys to date.
Did you feel part of UVA community? Did you feel part of community?
Incidents that caused these community feelings yes, The Nurses were not included. They were ignored as a branch of the college.
Vivid UVA memories
Comments on vivid memories When Japan surrendered to end World War II the whole town of Charlottesville and the University turned out to celebrate the end of the war. Went to work one morning on a ward with 28 patients and found out I had no help. The orderlies had gone on strike and I had to prepare and cook the food as well as care for the patients and give medicines to them. I learned to improvise and in this case I organized the patients to help me do the work.
Did marital status affect UVA experiences
Comments on influence of marital status No effect. I was not married at the time.
Did cultural background affect UVA experiences
Comments on influence of cultural background Had no impact. Because my cultural and ethnic background was the same as everyone else's.
Did UVA prepare you for post-UVA life?
Comments on preparedness Yes. It opened doors for me at any hospital. All I had to do was say I was a U.Va. graduate and I could get any job I wanted. I was always amazed at the response I got. It taught me and prepared me for life in general by teaching me to improvise and organize.
Most significant post-UVA events
Comments on most significant event Marriage to my husband and the after affects of World War II. Keeping up my nursing skills. Going back to school and getting two (2) degrees, as well as C.E.U. credit seminars. Also having 4 children along the way.
Personal factors that affected professional life
Comments on personal factors having children and a family and dealing with their problems. I decided to switch to psych nursing after dealing with addiction in my own family. Having strong religious belief.
Other factors affecting life after the university
Comments on other factors Having my husband called back for active duty in the service during the Korean War. Death of parents and close friends.
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 When I started work, nurses had to take the blame for Dr.'s mistakes. Nurses were put in an awkward position when I first started working. I'm happy to say that nurses have now learned to be more assertive and it's not as bad as it was, but still exists.
Current marital status
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Current age range
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Number of children
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Current employment status
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Additional comments 1. I always remember the prayers we had before we went on duty. This meant a lot to me, and through the years, I always tried to say a prayer before I went on duty. 2. I donated a Nurse Cape to the U.Va. Nursing Hospital society and received a thank you note from Dr. Brodie. An interesting factor too about the cape. When I was still a student one of the recent graduates I looked up to gave me the cape because they no longer issued capes to students and she knew I wanted one. I took the cape home and used it on special occasions with my uniform. I had nursed a child who was severely burned when a Navy jet plane crashed near her home. When she had healed, she and I appeared on a float in the Shiners parade. I represented the nursing profession wearing that cape with its red lining showing. The float made such an impact on people that they were crying and waving flags. It was a very moving experience. *note--I have enclosed an account of Cadet Nurses as I saw it. I had submitted this to the local paper (VA Pilot) but it was not printed, possibly because it was too long. But I think it gives an accurate account of Cadet Nurses at U.Va. *This was dictated to my husband as I have a neurological desease and my writing is illegible.

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