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Alumni Association of Philadelphia General Hospital Training School For Nurses photographs
Notifications
Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Barbara Bates Center for the Study of The History of Nursing [Contact Us]Claire Fagin Hall, 418 Curie Boulevard, Floor 2U, Philadelphia, PA 19104-4217
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the University of Pennsylvania: Barbara Bates Center for the Study of The History of Nursing. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.
Overview and metadata sections
Originally called the Alice Fisher Alumnae Club after the founder of the Philadelphia General Hospital's Training School for Nurses, the Alumnae Association of the Philadelphia General Hospital was formed on January 1893 by 130 graduates of the training school. A house was rented at 804 Pine Street to be used for Club meetings. There, graduates of PGH could get together for social occasions or simply to rest. One of the first large undertakings of the group was the compilation of the Alice Fisher Memorial Home Fund on May 1909, to commemorate the twenty-fifth anniversary of Alice Fisher's death. Donations were solicited through a form letter sent out to graduates. This fund was to be used for the care of sick or needy graduate nurses.
In 1911, the Alice Fisher Alumnae Club became incorporated as the Nurses Alumnae Association of the Philadelphia General Hospital. The official charter is dated July 12, 1912. The purpose of the organization: "to advance the standing and interests of the graduates of the Training School for Nurses of the Philadelphia General Hospital to extend aid to those in trouble or sickness, to promote social intercourse and good fellowship among its members, and to raise the standard of nursing to the highest plane" (see Charter and By-laws, 1972).
Both the Alice Fisher Memorial Fund and the Estell Pettit Lank (class of 1909) Legacy have contributed to the Association's caring of sick graduates. By 1972, the Association was working in conjuncture with PGH to provide for alumnae. The hospital had set aside a suite of three rooms for alumnae hospitalization, provided that the Alumnae Association pay for the furniture in the room. Any member was eligible for service, with applications for admission made to the Professional Service Director of the Hospital through the Director of Nursing. The maximum stay was thirty days. Finally, the Association provided scholarships to needy nursing students.
In 1977, the Philadelphia General Hospital was closed. Today, the Alumnae Association still works on preserving the memory of the organization through reunions, written histories, and events such as the annual procession to Alice Fisher's grave.
This collection consists of various photographs documenting life at PGH's School of Nursing, and ranging in date between 1885 and 1977. Included in this collection are photos of various individuals involved with the PGH school of nursing, such as students, graduates, doctors, and patients, as well as notable chief nurses like Roberta West. Additionally, there are photographs of Florence Nightingale, and other prominent individuals who visited the school. The collection also includes photographs of PGH's various facilities, such as the Old Blockley Hospital and nursing student residences, as well as equipment used by nursing students and doctors at PGH. There are also several photographs of activities and special occasions related to the PGH Training School for Nurses, including photos of classes, graduation ceremonies, funerals, galas and other special events.
Letters indicate inserted photographs: p. 2a is the photograph between p. 2 and p. 3.
Decimals indicate duplicate photographs: p. 2.1 is the duplicate of p. 2, p. 2a.1 is the duplicate of p. 2a.
Photographs marked as oversized are located in the oversized boxes listed at the end of this finding aid, ordered by date.
Gift of the Alumni Association of Philadelphia General Hospital Training School for Nurses.
Organization
- Philadelphia General Hospital
- Alumni Association of the Training School for Nurses of Philadelphia General Hospital
Subject
Place
- Publisher
- University of Pennsylvania: Barbara Bates Center for the Study of The History of Nursing
- Finding Aid Author
- Center staff, updated by Bethany Myers
- Access Restrictions
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This collection is unrestricted.
- Use Restrictions
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Copyright restrictions may apply. Please contact the Center with requests for copying and for authorization to publish, quote or reproduce the material.
Collection Inventory
See also Box 44, Photo Album circa 1900.
See also Box 44, Photo Album circa 1900.
See also Box 43, Photo Album, 1916-1930.