Mary Agnes Snively (1847-1933)

Inspiration for Activism!

Canadian nursing/nursing education pioneer, credited with beginning professional nursing in Canada.
“Trained” at Bellevue Training Hospital in NYC, 1882-84, after spending almost 20 years as a public school teacher.
Upon graduation from Bellevue, hired in 1884 as lady superintendent by Toronto General Hospital, where a “Training School for Nurses” had been established 3 years earlier.
Immediately instituted reforms both in the unacceptable living conditions of nurses and in their curriculum:
- Focused on knowledge required to care for patients while removing “housekeeping” kinds of tasks from their workloads;
- Implemented an examination at the end of the initial 2-year program, which she extended to a 3-year program by 1897;
- Convinced hospital officials to build a proper nursing residence with libraries.
In 1897, named president of the Society of Superintendents of Training Schools in Canada and the U.S.
Believed nurses needed to be organized and consolidated, advocating for fixed curriculum, uniform examinations, and a registration process.
In 1899, became founding member of the International Council of Nurses ICN) and served as its first treasurer.
In 1908, brought together nurses and nursing alumnae to form Canadian National Association of Trained Nurses (CNATN – to become Canadian Nurses Association in 1924) and became its first president.
Immediately forged ties with ICN so that CNATN officially became part of ICN in 1909.

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Clara Barton (1821-1912)

Inspiration for Activism!

Became a teacher at age 15 and later opened a free public school in New Jersey
During Civil War, risked her life to deliver supplies to soldiers, saw combat, and served as independent nurse; known as Angel of the Battlefield
While visiting Europe worked with International Red Cross
On arrival home, founded in 1881 at age 60, and served as the first President of the American Red Cross for next 23 years

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Inspiration for Activism!

Tireless advocate for African American women and nurses; eventually achieving integration of Black nurses in the American Nurses Association (1948)
Enlisted the help of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and led a national letter-writing campaign to persuade President Franklin D. Roosevelt and other political leaders of the need to fully desegregate the armed forces, including the U.S. Armed Forces Nurses Corp in World War II..
In 1935, one of the founders of the National Council of Negro Women
In 1914, earned her nursing credential at the Freedmen’s Hospital School of Nursing (now the Howard University College of Nursing) in Washington, D.C.
Became Director of Nursing at the Booker T. Washington Sanitarium — the first hospital in Harlem to treat African-Americans with tuberculosis.
Conducted research on the healthcare needs of Harlem resident, leading to the Harlem Committee of the New York Tuberculosis and Health Association.
Served as executive secretary of the National Association for Colored Graduate Nurses (NACGN) from 1934 to 1949.

See Mabel Staupers papers archived at Howard University here

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Inspiration for Activism!

Advocate for public health, children’s and women’s health and rights, and peace.
Began a visiting nurses’ service in 1883 and opened Henry Street Settlement to provide further assistance to poor people in 1885 and simultaneously lobbied to change socio-economic conditions that contributed to poor health.
Founded public health nursing, including school nursing and rural health programs.
Established Women’s Trade Union League in 1903 and lobbied for the Children’Bureau, which was established in 1912 to address child labour and welfare.
In 1914, led a march of 1000 women to protest World War I.
Published the book “The House on Henry Street” in 1915 – still available here.

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Inspiration for Activism!

Radical political anarchist, activist feminist heroine, nurse, editor, writer, teacher, jailbird and general trouble-maker
Insisted on the fundamental connections between and among wide-ranging, burning political and social issues, including prisons, atheism, freedom of speech, militarism, capitalism, marriage, free love, and homosexuality.
Became convinced that birth control was essential to women’s sexual and economic freedom when she worked as a nurse and midwife among poor immigrant workers on the Lower East Side in the 1890s.
Became a mentor to Margaret Sanger, but insisted that birth control needed to be addressed in the context of the broad social, economic, and political forces that led to its suppression.
In 1906 established the periodical Mother Earth, to provide “a place of expression for the young idealists in arts and letters”
The Emma Goldman Clinic, a women’s health center located in Iowa City, Iowa, selected Goldman as a namesake “in recognition of her challenging spirit.” See clinic welcome video