Record Accession Number: 1122
First UVA program NURS Second UVA program
Comments on UVA programs
Home town Clarendon Home state VA
Comments on Home town and state
Home town classification Suburb
Comments on Home town classification
High school classification boarding
Comments on High school classification
Was your high school co-ed? No
Comments on Co-ed high school
Did you come directly from high school to UVA? No
Comments if not directly from high school Worked as a switchboard operator and secretary in an office. Dating. A brief period in secretarial school, a semester of 1st year college (English 1) night school.
Important activities before coming to UVA
Comments on important activities
If married, was it before, during, or after UVA? After
Comments on time of marriage
Was your spouse associated with UVA? No
Comments on spouses association with UVA no connection 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 Law 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
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 A friend knew the head nurse on the psychiatric unit. She was very convincing ( I was about to be "sworn in" to the US Marine Corps, but was impressed by the U.Va.)
How did you finance UVA?
Comments on financing cadet nurse corps
Why did you choose your UVA concentration(s)?
Comments on choice of concentration Experience in the New York visiting nurse service gave me a different viewpoint- the importance, for instance, of family and lifestyle in the health and general well-being of patients.
Description of UVA classroom experiences
Comments on classroom experiences Always interesting, often exciting.
Description of UVA professor interactions
Comments on professor interactions We seldom saw our nursing teachers or physicians outside the classroom. Holding doors open, standing up to receive instructions while on duty, were required at that time; were considered signs of respect and were not considered improper or onerous.
Who impacted your life at UVA?
Comments on life impact Older nursing students, nursing teachers were always approachable and willing to help with problems- even to lend a "helping hand."
Most memorable UVA educational experience
Comments on memorable educational experience I still feel it was excellent (underlined) -- a "hands on" experience.
UVA weekend activities
Comments on weekend activities Often working (underlined) in those days-in the hospital. In NY, those last 6 months, weekends were free and the city was safe fo exploration-Radio City, Times Square, Foreign Restaurants, cheap subway travel, matinees at an occasional play, even the opera.
UVA extra-curricular organizations
Comments on extra-curricular organizations I, with some other nursing students, took advantage of an invitation to join the University Glee Club ( I believe it was called). It was most enjoyable and relaxing after a hard day's work.
Important local, state, national, and international issues while at UVA
Comments on important issues The main concern was the outcome of WWII. 5 of my brothers were in the different services. Local and state issues were occasionally discussed, but hard work and long hours kept us too busy to get involved in local or state issues.
How interest in issues was expressed
Comments on how interest was expressed A different issue: we did worry some about the treatment of black patients at that time, as they were segregated in a rather gloomy basement "ward." The patients, themselves, seemed unconcerned, however, and received excellent care. I witnessed a very moving death of a young black girl who was held in the arms of a white head nurse as she died.
UVA housing
Comments on housing Dormitory
Likes and dislikes about housing
Comments on likes and dislikes I was fortunate- had a private room and bath of the ground floor in McKim Hall.
Where were meals eaten
Comments on meal location hospital dining room
Did you interact outside of UVA?
Interaction detail no, except for some shopping
Memories of Charlottesville
Comments on Charlottesville memories It was very "small town" and pleasant. I sometimes walked my bike up the smaller hills and rode down the other side. There was very little automobile traffic then. I think gas-rationing was in effect. The countryside was beautiful.
Did you feel part of UVA community? Did you feel part of community?
Incidents that caused these community feelings The School of Nursing was not really considered part of the University at that time, though I remember enjoying many walks in Springtime on Univ. grounds, especially can recall the heavenly smell of honeysuckle.
Vivid UVA memories
Comments on vivid memories see #25. My most memorable experience, however, was "delivering" a baby when the mother of many (8 or 10?) children was left in my care in a small "labor" room. The hallway was lined with women in labor on stretchers. The obstetricians were hurriedly delivering babies in the (2 or 3?) delivery rooms, and there was no one nearby I could call for help when the patient I was with calmly told me the baby was "coming" and suddenly was there. I had seen 1 delivery, and tried to remain calm, picked the infant up, "flicked" it's feet to make it cry, and placed it on the mother's abdomen, wrapped in part of the sheet. This and other experiences increased my self confidence.
Did marital status affect UVA experiences
Comments on influence of marital status I was single-dating was permitted-usually with med. students and most often in a group situation. Frat parties, occasionally were where dates ended up. There was some drinking, but I don't recall seeing any outright drunkeness. I believe most everyone then had little income for " frivoloty."
Did cultural background affect UVA experiences
Comments on influence of cultural background see #25. We also saw and helped care for people who came from isolated mountain areas. They were usually very poor and uneducated, also very frightened. They were always treated with kindness, but never really seemed comfortable in a hospital situation. This experience helped me deal with homebound patients later, as a visiting nurse in all types of illnesses - often caused by ignorance and low income.
Did UVA prepare you for post-UVA life?
Comments on preparedness nursing Ed. prepared me for the work I was to do for many years. It has helped me to maintain a healthy (or healthful) lifestyle for myself, my family, and sometimes for others. I was able to care for my parents in their final illnesses.
Most significant post-UVA events
Comments on most significant event nursing, marriage, childbirth
Personal factors that affected professional life
Comments on personal factors Private-duty nursing put my husband through college - an Engineering degree, U. Wisconsin.
Other factors affecting life after the university
Comments on other factors Travel abroad , travel by car throughout this country-was especially impressed by the magnificence of our western states.
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 I never felt there were any barriers at the time I worked. Now a college degree would be required for most of the jobs I worked (without any difficulty or lack of training).
Current marital status
Comments on current marital status
Current age range
Comments on current age range
Number of children
Comments on number of children
Current employment status
Comments on employment status
Additional comments The education I received at U.Va. School of Nursing was superb. At that time (1944-47) experience in every department of the hospital was required for graduation. Many of the RN's were still in wartime service, so that nursing students were given a lot of responsibility-possibly too much at times. I remember once having complete charge of a ward of 20-some very sick children for nightime (11pm-7am) duty. "Rounds" had to be made every hour throughout the night. Penicillin, just discovered?, had to be injected every 3 hours at that time. Croup tents were common, requiring frequent monitoring. My last 6 months were spent as a student with the NY Visiting Nurse Service which gave me entry into my first job as a visiting nurse in Arlington, Va. Marriage and raising 3 children became a full-time job. Then, when the youngest was in school most of the day, I felt able to return to visiting nurse work out of Woodstock, Illinois where we were living then. My supervisor insisted that I take a course (offered then to public health and school nurses) in pediatric nursing in Presbyterian St. Luke's Hospital in Chicago. I helped set up a well-child clinic under the supervision of a pediatrician . Shortly after that my husband and I moved with our children to Wisconsin where I gave physical exams at well-child clinics, for school children in 2 different communities.When those 2 clinics closed, I worked for 5 years in a psychiatric unit at our local hospital. I feel that the "training" I received at U.Va. made my wonderful and exciting career possible as a RN. The physicians and nurses who taught us were dedicated, highly-skilled professionals. I still use much of that education, still try to keep up to date in whatever knowledge I still possess.

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