Harlem Hospital School of Nursing

Last updated
Harlem Hospital School of Nursing
Former names
  • Training School for Colored Nurses of Harlem Hospital
  • Training School for Nurses of Harlem Hospital
Type Public nursing school
ActiveJanuary 3, 1923 (1923-01-03)–1977 (1977)
Founders
Parent institution
 Harlem Hospital Center
Students20 (first year class)
Location
Harlem, New York City
,
New York
,
United States

40°48′52″N73°56′18″W / 40.81444°N 73.93833°W / 40.81444; -73.93833
Campusurban
[1] [2]

Harlem Hospital School of Nursing was a training school for African-American women, which was established at Harlem Hospital in Harlem, New York City in 1923. It was founded due to the lack of nursing schools in New York that accepted African American women. Until 1923, the Lincoln Hospital School for Nurses in The Bronx was the only school that allowed the enrollment of Black women.

Contents

Formation

When Mayor Hylan sought reelection in 1921, the NAACP and other community organizations lobbied the mayor to improve healthcare access. [1] Around the same time, Lurline Vassall of Brooklyn, was denied entry to the Bellevue Hospital School of Nursing because of her race. [1] Lurline's father William Vassall launched a campaign to open a school for black nurses. [1] [3] In response, Hylan's administration supported the creation of the Harlem Hospital School of Nursing. [1]

The school opened on January 3, 1923, with a class of twenty black women. [1] It was a two and a half year program. [1] An additional thirteen students were enrolled in April 1923 and another sixteen students in September 1923. Thirty-six of these students would go on to graduate on April 23, 1925, becoming the first graduating class. [4]

Early Student Experiences

Students followed a rigorous twelve-hour schedule. [5] This schedule included academic activities as well as work in the hospital. Some of their activities included cleaning, making beds and caring for patients. [6] Students were often subject to the prejudice of white doctors and nurses, many of whom refused to work with black nursing students. [5]

Students were required to wear pink long-sleeved dresses that came down to six inches off the ground. In addition, each wore an attached collar and cuffs and a long white apron. For shoes they were black high tops. [7] The color of the uniform was soon changed from pink to blue. [8] Shortly after being admitted, students attended a capping ceremony in which they received nurse's caps that symbolized their initiation into the school. Some students were surprised that they were not given the same caps as Belleview students, but instead were given standard caps. Rumors spread that they hadn't received Belleview caps because of concerns that black hair would be too greasy. In 1949, a committee formed to replace the standard cap with a more a more unique design. The design chose featured a distinctive three point brim representing faith, hope and charity. [9]

Dissolution

The Harlem Hospital School of Nursing closed in 1977. [10] The decision to close the school was made in part due to lack of funding. [11]

Notable alumni and personnel

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Building a Healthy Black Harlem. Cambria Press. ISBN   9781621969686.
  2. ↑ "Established Clinical Medicine in Harlem". northbysouth.kenyon.edu. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
  3. ↑ "A COMPILATION OF AFRICAN AMERICANS AND HISTORIC SITES IN THE TOWN OF HUNTINGTON Volume II" (PDF). TOWN OF HUNTINGTON NEW YORK. February 2009. Retrieved December 11, 2016.
  4. ↑ Bennet, M. Alisan (1984). "A HISTORY OF THE HARLEM HOSPITAL SCHOOL OF NURSING: ITS EMERGENCE AND DEVELOPMENT IN A CHANGING URBAN COMMUNITY, 1923-1973 (NEW YORK)". Teacher's College. Columbia University ProQuest Dissertations Publishing: 39. ProQuest   303286873 – via JSTOR.
  5. 1 2 Campbell, Barbara (1973-06-08). "Harlem Nursing Alumnae Recall Early Racial Snubs". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2024-03-01.
  6. ↑ Bennet (1984, pg. 38-39)
  7. ↑ Bennet (1984, pg. 38)
  8. ↑ "Harlem History Center School of Nursing 1923-1977". Alumni Association Harlem Hospital Center School of Nursing. Retrieved 2024-03-01.
  9. ↑ Bennet (1984, pp. 39-40)
  10. ↑ "Exhibit Featuring Long-Closed Harlem Hospital School of Nursing Honors One of its Students". TWC News. 2016-12-04. Retrieved 2016-12-11.
  11. ↑ "Centennial Celebration of Harlem Hospital School of Nursing". Community Curation Platform. Retrieved 2024-03-01.
  12. ↑ "Renee J. Amoore's Biography". The HistoryMakers. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
  13. ↑ Snyder, Jean (January 16, 2022). "Jean Snyder column: Remembering Goldie Brangman, the nurse anesthetist who helped save Rev. Martin Luther King Jr". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
  14. ↑ "Rosetta Burke". BMWF. Black Military Women Foundation. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
  15. ↑ "Nurse to Tuskegee Airmen dies in Georgia at 100". ABC News. Associated Press. 2020-09-29. Archived from the original on 2020-10-01. Retrieved 2020-10-06.
  16. ↑ Clark, Karen (August 9, 1993). "Alma John papers 1955 - 1980" (PDF). New York Public Library Archives. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
  17. ↑ Langer, Emily (6 March 2016). "Hazel Johnson-Brown, Army nurse who was first black female general, dies at 83 - The Washington Post". Washington Post. Archived from the original on 2016-03-06. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
  18. ↑ Lukens, Rob (2012-06-28). "History's People: Hazel Johnson-Brown, First Female Black General". Chester County Historical Society. Retrieved 2021-02-04.
  19. ↑ "Hazel Johnson". answers.com. Retrieved 3 July 2011.
  20. ↑ "Kea, Salaria". The Abraham Lincoln Brigade Archives. 10 December 2019. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
  21. ↑ "archives.nypl.org -- Estelle Massey Osborne papers". archives.nypl.org. Retrieved February 1, 2022.


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