The Medical Center Archives is happy to announce the donation of the North Carolina Licensed Practical Nurses Association (NCLPNA) Records by Mrs. Jessie Parker Smith, a member of the 1946 inaugural graduation class of the Durham School of Practical Nursing, as well as one of the cohorts of the “Trailblazers”, the first African American nurses hired by Duke. Mrs. Smith, an LPN, remained at nurse at Duke for over 40 years.
The NCLPNA was a predominately African American nursing group. This collection documents the professional nursing group’s work and is comprised of their administrative records. It contains subject files, financial records, property records, meeting minutes, reports, printed materials, continuing education and conference materials, committee records, membership materials, and documentation pertaining to the start of the NCLPNA.
Check back for an announcement once this collection is processed and opened to researchers!
This blog post was contributed by Medical Center Archives Assistant Director Lucy Waldrop.