Joan Bynum

Captain Joan C. Bynum (retired)
Born	September 5, 1934 Gary, Indiana
Allegiance	United States
United States Navy Nurse Corps	Navy
Years of service	1958-1981
Rank	Captain
Awards	National Defense Service Medal
Alma mater	Meharry Medical College Indiana University

Joan Carolyn Bynum (born September 5, 1934) was an African-American United States Navy nurse. In 1978, she became the first black woman to be promoted to the rank of Captain in the 203-year history of the U.S. Navy.

Biography

Bynum was born on September 5, 1943, in Gary, Indiana. ^{[1] [2]} Growing up in Gary during World War II, she remembered her uncle's letters home while serving in the Navy as a petty officer. ^[3] Inspired by his service, it became her dream to serve in the Navy. Bynum attended Meharry Medical College and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing in 1957. ^[4] After passing her state licensing board examinations, she and enlisted in the Navy as an ensign in 1958. ^[3]

Navy service

Bynum's first tour of duty was in California, where served two years at Naval Hospital San Diego. ^[5] Early in her career, she was assigned to duty stations in Portsmouth, Virginia, Chelsea, New York and Rota, Spain. ^[5] She became a lieutenant commander in January 1966. ^{[2] [6] [7]} During her Navy service, Bynum recalled experiencing discrimination both by virtue of her race and also due to her gender. ^{[3] [8]}

Bynum was later transferred to Naval Station Great Lakes where she worked in the labor and delivery ward, infectious disease unit and coronary care unit. ^[5] While serving at Naval Station Great Lakes, Bynum applied for a Navy scholarship for graduate school. She was accepted and enrolled in a pediatric nursing program at Indiana University. ^[3] Bynum graduated from Indiana University in 1971. ^[4]

Captain appointment

In 1978, Bynum was a pediatrics nurse stationed in Yokosuka, Japan when she was promoted to the rank of captain. She was 44 years old and had twenty years of Naval service. ^{[9] [10]} With her promotion, she became the first black woman to attain the rank of captain in the 203-year history of the United States Navy. ^{[11] [12] [13]}

After her appointment, Captain Bynum served as the assistant director of Nursing at Naval Hospital Yokosuka. ^[3] Bynum retired from the Navy in 1981. ^{[14] [15]}

References

1. "Joan Bynum". navylog.navymemorial.org. Retrieved 2025-02-24.
2. Register of the Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the Navy of the United States and of the Marine Corps. United States Bureau of Naval Personnel. 1968.
3. United States Navy (February 1979). All hands. George A. Smathers Libraries University of Florida. Washington, D.C.: Bureau of Naval Personnel, Department of the Navy. Office of the Chief of Information, United States. Navy Internal Relations Activity. Naval Media Center (U.S.). Publishing Division. pp. 14–22.
4. Jet. Johnson Publishing Company. November 23, 1978. p. 5.
5. Black Americans in the Navy. Department of Defense, Navy Department, Bureau of Naval Personnel. 1977.
6. Journal of the Executive Proceedings of the Senate of the United States of America. Senate of the United States. 1966.
7. Outstanding Young Women of America. Junior Chamber of Commerce. 1968. p. 89.
8. D'Amico, Francine J.; Weinstein, Laurie L. (March 1999). Gender Camouflage: Women and the U.S. Military. NYU Press. ISBN   978-0-8147-1907-7.
9. "Captain Joan Bynum". United States Navy. Retrieved 2025-02-24.
10. Eagle & Swan. Port Royal Communications Network Company. 1979. p. 34.
11. "Remembering the First Black Women Naval Officers". The Sextant. Retrieved 2025-02-24.
12. "Captain Joan Bynum". public2.nhhcaws.local. Retrieved 2025-02-24.
13. United States Navy Medical Newsletter. U.S. Bureau of Medicine and Surgery. 1979. p. 22.
14. Register of Retired Commissioned and Warrant Officers, Regular and Reserve, of the United States Navy. U.S. Government Printing Office. 1990. p. 105.
15. Journal of the Proceedings of the Common Council. Detroit (Mich ) City Council. July 1983.