1969 Press Photo St. Mary's school of nursing graduates - mjb95032

St. Mary's Ends on a Happy Note--Today, the graduates of St. Mary's school of nursing are winding up a two day reunion which both celebrates the school's 75th anniversary and marks its close. The school was founded in January, 1894, with eight students enrolled in its first class. The two year course outlined for those first students included instruction and practice in the preparation of antiseptic dressing, bandaging, making of bandages and the lining of splints; the dressing of blisters, burns, sores and wounds and the application of fomentations and poultices. In 1901 the course of study was lengthened to three years to allow for a greater variety in the schedule of services and instruction. In spite of the long hours and the demanding schedule--the first set of rules said nurses should rise at 5:30 a.m.--there was still time for social events. Before the days of radio, the parlor piano provided entertainment for the nurses of the 1903 class. Entrance requirements for those first applicants included "a healthy body, an alert ind and a capacity for punctuality and strict obedience to orders." It was also necessary that, "an applicant should have a fair English education...to take lecture notes." St. Mary's Hospital

Photo is dated 1969.

Photo measures 10 x 8.5 inches.