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Karen Buhler-Wilkerson papers
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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
Karen Buhler-Wilkerson (1944-2010), R.N., Ph.D., F.A.A.N., and Director Emerita of the Barbara Bates Center for the Study of the History of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, 1996-2006, was a leading nursing historian with an international reputation.
Buhler-Wilkerson was born in Philadelphia in 1944, though she spent her childhood in Georgia and Charleston, South Carolina. She received her B.S. from Emory University School of Nursing in 1966, an M.N. in 1969, as well as a Ph.D. in the Department of City Planning at the University of Pennsylvania, in the field of Health Care History and Policy in 1984. Her dissertation and also her first book was published in 1984 entitled False Dawn: The Rise and Decline of Public Health Nursing, 1900-1930. Buhler-Wilkerson is best known for her 2001 award winning book, No Place Like Home: A History of Nursing and Home Care in the United States. A prolific scholar, she was twice awarded the Lavinia L. Dock Award for Exemplary Historical Research and Writing from the American Association for the History of Nursing (1989 and 2001). In addition, in 2000 Buhler-Wilkerson received the Agnes Dillon Randolph Award for Significant Contributions to the Field of Nursing History from the Center for Nursing Inquiry at the University of Virginia School of Nursing. She was a member of several associations, including the American Academy of Nursing and American Association for the History of Nursing.
She joined the faculty at the University of Pennsylvania in 1972, and spent 40 years teaching in the fields of home health care nursing and health care history. Buhler-Wilkerson was awarded the Christian R. and Mary F. Lindback Foundation Award for Distinguished Teaching in 2005. She, along with Mary Naylor, created the Living Independently for Elders Program (LIFE) in 1998. Among her many accomplishments, one of her lasting legacies is her involvement with the establishment of the Bates Nursing History Center in the mid-1980s. With support from then Dean, Claire Fagin, Buhler-Wilkerson along with Drs. Joan Lynaugh and Ellen Baer, created the now internationally renowned Barbara Bates Center for the Study of the History of Nursing. She was director of the Center for 10 years, from 1996-2006, when she retired.
Outside of academia, Buhler-Wilkerson aided in the creation of two nursing exhibits. In 2003, she contributed to an exhibit at the Fabric Workshop in Philadelphia that focused in past, present and future nursing uniforms. In 2000, she contributed to The Nightingale’s Song, an exhibit at the Philadelphia Museum of Art which depicted images of nursing through posters and other media. She received a media award from the American Academy of Nursing for both exhibits.
Gift of Karen Buhler-Wilkerson. Additional donations received from Neville E. Strumpf and Julie Fairman.
People
Subject
Occupation
- Publisher
- University of Pennsylvania: Barbara Bates Center for the Study of The History of Nursing
- Finding Aid Author
- Finding aid prepared by Jessica Clark
- Finding Aid Date
- 2012
- Access Restrictions
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Open to researchers unless otherwise noted to protect individual privacy.
- 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
This series contains documents related to her personal achievements, including the Lindback award, letters, and her curriculum vitae.
This series contains papers accumulated during Buhler-Wilkerson enrollment at Emory University School of Nursing. This includes papers, class notes, and related items specific to her field of study.
Included in this series are the documents and papers regard Buhler-Wilkerson’s work while a member of the University of Pennsylvania faculty. Included are research notes, papers, grant applications, thesis advisor correspondence, recommendations, and other related documents. This series is divided into the following subseries: courses and positions, dissertations, recommendations, correspondence, consultations, grants, research and presentations and papers.
File C, drawer 3
File C, drawer 3
File C, drawer 3
File C, drawer 3
This series documents Buhler-Wilkerson’s work as Program Director, Division Head and Director Emerita of the Barbara Bates Center for the Study of the History of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania. It is one of the major series of the collection. The series is divided into the following subseries: correspondence, budget/funding, operations, committees, courses, faculty, and fellowships and students.
Restricted
This series contains documents concerning the Center of the Study of the History of Nursing. Documents include correspondence, archive collections, operations, and projects. Subseries are correspondence, operations, and projects. The Center’s involvement with The Nightingale Song Exhibit and RN: The Past, Present, and Future of the Nursing Uniform are included here.
This series documents Buhler-Wilkerson’s involvement with various organizations and institutions outside her work at the University of Pennsylvania. Among them are the American Academy of the History of Nursing, the Woodlands, and the International Council of Nurses. The assocations are listed alphabetically.
File C, drawer 3
This series contains articles kept by Buhler-Wilkerson.
This series contains publications, programs, booklets or other printed materials to events or organization that Buhler-Wilkerson attended or were involved with.
This series includes photographs taken during Center events and exhibits they sponsored. Also included are snapshot taken of or with her family and friends. In addition, there are slides related to her research on Visiting Nurse Societies or for other presentations. VHS and taped interview are included here.
This series contains pieces of memorabilia, including posters.
File A, Drawer 1
File A, Drawer 1
File C, Drawer 1
This is a complete list of books donated by Karen Buhler-Wilkerson. Some books may have been removed due to previous copies or they fall outside the scope of the Center's mission.
Physical DescriptionThis is a complete list of books donated by Karen Buhler-Wilkerson. Some books may have been removed due to previous copies or they fall outside the scope of the Center's mission.
These files are restricted to protect the privacy of the individuals.