Ellen D. Baer papers

Ellen Davidson Baer (born 1939) received her baccalaureate degree from Columbia University Presbyterian Hospital School of Nursing in 1962. She continued her education at New York University earning both her master’s and doctoral degrees. Dr. Baer initially began her illustrious career as a clinical nurse working with acutely ill adults before transitioning into and advocating for the nurse practitioner in the 1970s. Before joining the University of Pennsylvania in 1980, she worked at Lehman College and City University of New York teaching nurse practitioners.

At Penn, Dr. Baer directed a federally funded program in oncology for graduate students in addition to another demonstration project for undergraduate students to have clinical experiences caring for AIDS patients. Along with her teaching responsibilities, she was the Associate Director of the Barbara Bates Center for the Study of the History of Nursing. She also served as the director of the nursing doctoral program at her alma mater and was a Fulbright Senior Scholar at the University of Athens. In 1998 Dr. Baer joined the University of Miami as the Wallace Gilroy Visiting Professorship at the School of Nursing, made possible by the Hugoton Foundation.

A prolific writer, Dr. Baer focused on creating a voice for nursing past and present by examining contemporary issues through their historical context. Topics of issues range from the struggles of nursing educators in the academic workplaces to the dangers of hospital and healthcare restructuring to women’s roles to finding a voice for nursing. Dr. Baer’s research has been supported by the National Center for Nursing Research, the Division of Nursing of the United States Public Health Service, and the Helene Fuld Health Foundation, the results of which she has published widely in books and journals. She is co-editor of Enduring Issues in American Nursing and Nurses’ Work: Issues Across Time and Space. Dr. Baer has received numerous honors throughout her memorable career. Awards include the AJN Book of the Year, the Lavinia L. Dock, the AAHN Distinguished Nurse Research Award, the ANA Centennial Nursing Heritage Award as well as the Columbia University Alumni Medal.

The Ellen D. Baer collection was acquired by the University of Pennsylvania, Barbara Bates Center for the Study of the History of Nursing in 2005 and 2013. The materials are arranged in ten series that shed light on her prolific academic career as well as insight into her personal life.

The first series concentrates on Dr. Baer’s personal life, particularly through correspondence and cards. In addition there are several papers outlining her family history as well as the personal experiences of both herself and her brother, Jim Davidson, through his fight with AIDS.

Series 2 focuses on the academic career of Dr. Baer, primarily at the University of Pennsylvania. These papers explore her professional correspondence, the two federally funded grants she initiated (Oncology and AIDS), her involvement with the Barbara Bates Center as well as the work she did with creating and directing the Hillman Scholars at Penn. Materials also focus on her book drafts and correspondence, consultations, and grant materials amongst other documents.

Series 3 documents the Columbia University-Presbyterian Hospital Alumni Association and the turmoil between the group and the Dean of the School of Nursing, of which Dr. Baer was involved in.

The fourth series contains all the research data from the various projects Dr. Baer work on during her career. This includes correspondence, research copies, notes, and other related materials for each project. Projects include her work on Leonhard Fuld, Nursing History, Chicago training schools, and other hospital training schools in New York. There is also a significant number of notecards pertaining to her various monographs.

Series 5 is the collection of papers, presentations and publications Dr. Baer gave and wrote during her career. They primarily remain in the order she arranged, either by date or theme. Of note are her "Feminist Disdain" piece and related pieces for the New York Times, her speeches on AIDS, St. Vincent’s and other training schools, and women's voices, feminism, and nursing. Series 6 contains any printed materials gathered by Dr. Baer.

The last 4 series (7-10) consists of various professional and some personal photographs, slide materials for presentations, audio and video cassette tapes, awards and artifacts.

Gift of Ellen D. Baer

Use

Copyright restrictions may apply. Please contact the Center with requests for copying and for authorization to publish, quote or reproduce the material.

Preferred Citation

Ellen D. Baer Papers, Barbara Bates Center for The Study of The History of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania

Publisher

University of Pennsylvania: Barbara Bates Center for the Study of The History of Nursing

Finding aids author

Finding aid prepared by Jessica Clark

Creator

Baer, Ellen Davidson

Subject

Nursing

Nursing--History

People

Baer, Ellen Davidson

Place

Philadelphia (Pa.)

Occupation

Nurse practitioners

Language

English

Form

Faculty papers