A History of the School 1910-1996
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A History of the School 1910-1996 By Barbara Conway Gaines, RN, EdD 1 To the deans and directors, The students, faculty and staff, The alumni and the concerned citizens of Oregon, Who made this school what it is–one of the best. 2 OHSU SCHOOL OF NURSING PREFACE The project, a written history of the School, was initiated by Dean Carol A. Lindeman, R.N., Ph.D., F.A.A.N. Dean Lindeman enjoyed the anecdotes of student life she heard in her many conversations with alumni and wanted to share them with others. She also wanted to provide more definitive answers to questions that arose over and over again, questions like, “When did the School begin?” and “How did the leadership of the School help it become what it has?” This book attempts to provide at least one set of answers to these questions and others. It could not have been completed without Dean Lindeman’s support and the continuing support of former interim dean Sheila M. Kodadek, R.N., Ph.D., and the School’s current dean, Kathleen Potempa, R.N., D.N.Sc., F.A.A.N. The story of the School of Nursing at Oregon Health & Science University is a story of leadership and commitment to quality. It is a story primarily of white women; women who were nurse educators and students and who pursued a dream often in the face of adversity. For these women, leadership may be defined both as, first, seeking a challenge, where others might see an obstacle; and, second, thinking as “we and ours,” not “I or mine.”1 It is also the story of non-nurses, women and men throughout Oregon who supported the education of women in general and nurses in particular. And finally, it is the story of male nurses and nurses of color. Nursing education at Oregon Health & Science University is, in many aspects, a reflection of nursing education in the West and in the nation as a whole. OHSU’s leaders faced the same problems and dilemmas of others. The student experience was in many ways similar. While the hard work of undergraduate education, the thesis exercise, and the dissertation frame large segments of students’ lives, it is the lasting friendships and sense that they are “good nurses” that dominate their memories. And a uniquely western posture developed at two periods in time–the 1920s and again in the 1970s and 1980s–as the needs of rural Oregon and the Northwest were recognized and addressed. The narrative is presented more or less chronologically because that is how most readers will have experienced and remember the School. The time periods selected reflect major changes in direction of the 3 School and gaps in the existing data. The story here ends in 1995 as the Oregon Health & Science University enters a new era as a public corporation and enters the search for Dr. Potempa, who has become its third dean and new leader. A few words about methods. Data were collected from a variety of sources, including earlier histories of the School and its programs and personalities. Correspondence, reports, bulletins and other publica- tions provided primary and secondary data. Data were also collected from current American Association of Colleges of Nursing schools. These data provided the foundation for statements about early nursing in the West. Group interviews with selected reunion classes and individual interviews and oral histories help us learn “what life in the School was really like.” The project could never have been completed without the help of people too numerous to mention. A few made contributions so substantial that they must be included at this point. Martha Watson, former office manager and unofficial School historian, heads the list. She made it her personal crusade to try to preserve the history of the School. Cathy Kemmerer, former alumni director and current director of annual giving, read and read and gave invaluable feedback on every chapter; Sheila Kodadek, read and provided feedback on many; Sarah Porter and Marie Duncan contributed valuable insights on Chapter X. Mary Ann Talbott, Chris Belden and Rayne Bonner Morgaine helped substantially in transcription and manuscript preparation. Thanks also to all the alumni who allowed us to remember the School through their eyes whether as student, faculty, or both. Thanks to interviewers like Kathleen Hartshorne and Shirley Franzen Schumann (‘46), and especially, Elaine G. Mahoney (‘61), who provided the wonderful oral history of “Jakes.” Thanks also to Elaine, Carol Storer (‘49), Dan Kniesner, Heather Rosenwinkel and the rest of the folks in the Old Library for help with the sleuthing work. For teaching me to appreciate history and the intricate webs surrounding interpretation while learning to tolerate my own shortcomings in the preparation of the manuscript, I wish to acknowledge two people in particular. Keith Richards, retired archivist at the University of Oregon, patiently helped me realize that some data just are not available; and Patricia Schecter, Ph.D., assistant professor 4 OHSU SCHOOL OF NURSING of history at Portland State University, taught me that someday I may recognize the silences in the data as well as the voices. Until that day let me just say, the mistakes and errors in judgment are mine and mine alone. And finally to Mary McFarland, R.N., Ed.D., and all of you, who provided continuous support–who always had a word of encourage- ment, a history from another school to lend me, a file you were willing to search for elusive data–thank you. And to Michael and Cindy, thanks for hoping if not believing that “it” might finally be “done.” But, of course, it isn’t; it can’t be. My hope is that one of you who reads it will take the narrative further, adding to our understanding and appreciation of the School that is such an important part of all of us. Barbara Conway Gaines December 1998 5 The Multnomah Hospital Training School for Nurses: 1910-1930 Introduction In 1910, when the Multnomah School for Nurses Chapter I (commonly known as the Multnomah Hospital Training School) opened its doors, Portland was the preeminent city in the Pacific Northwest. The 1905 Lewis and Clark Exposition showcased the city. In 1906, a group of prominent club women presented the city with a statue of Sacajawea depicting the active contribution of women to the settlement of the West. And an affirmative vote for women’s suffrage would occur in 1912. Although still looking to the East for leadership, the city was also at the fore of nursing education.1 Three strong diploma schools were operating in Portland. There were also schools in Salem and The Dalles, and programs were opening in Pendleton, Baker City and Astoria. In the 1920s, it is estimated that at least 20 schools of nursing were in operation. Throughout the country, it was a time of rapid expansion in the number of nursing schools. And, as in the rest of the country, only a few of the Oregon schools would survive and even thrive; most would close.2 The three earliest Portland schools were located in hospitals with religious affiliations. Good Samaritan Hospital, a hospital of the Episcopal diocese, began its program, the first in the Northwest, in 1890. St. Vincent Hospital, a Roman Catholic hospital, began its program in 1892. Portland Sanitarium and Hospital, a Seventh Day Adventist institution, began in 1897. These three hospital-based programs, like the Multnomah Hospital Training School, all made the successful transition to collegiate programs.3 The transition was not an easy one for these generally- competing schools. However, they formed the Deans and Directors 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234 12345678901 12345678901 12345678901 12345678901 12345678901 12345678901 12345678901 12345678901 12345678901 12345678901 12345678901 12345678901 12345678901 12345678901 12345678901 12345678901 12345678901 12345678901 12345678901 12345678901 12345678901 12345678901 12345678901 1234567 12345678901 1234567 12345678901 1234567 12345678901 1234567 12345678901 1234567 12345678901 1234567 12345678901 12345678901 12345678901 12345678901 Elnora E. Thomson 12345678901 12345678901 12345678901 R.N., F.A.P.H.A. 12345678901 12345678901 12345678901 12345678901 1920 - 1943 12345678901 12345678901 12345678901 12345678901 12345678901 12345678901 12345678901 12345678901 12345678901 12345678901 12345678901 12345678901 12345678901 12345678901 12345678901 12345678901 12345678901 12345678901 12345678901 12345678901 12345678901 12345678901 12345678901 12345678901 12345678901 12345678901 12345678901 12345678901 12345678901 12345678901 123456 12345678901 123456 12345678901 123456 12345678901 123456 12345678901 123456 12345678901 123456 12345678901 12345678901 12345678901 12345678901 Henrietta Doltz 12345678901 12345678901 12345678901 R.N., M.N. 12345678901 12345678901 12345678901 12345678901 1944 - 1956 12345678901 12345678901 12345678901 12345678901 12345678901 12345678901 12345678901 12345678901 12345678901