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Guide to the Agnew Hospital Nurses Alumnae Association Records MS 65
MS 65  
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Table of contents What's This?
  • Biographical / Historical Notes
  • Scope and Content
  • Arrangement
  • Preferred Citation
  • Conditions Governing Access
  • Conditions Governing Use
  • Processing Information

  • Title: Agnew Hospital Nurses Alumnae Association Records
    Identifier/Call Number: MS 65
    Contributing Institution: San Diego History Center Document Collection
    Language of Material: English
    Physical Description: 0.75 Linear feet (2 boxes)
    Date (inclusive): 1882-1969
    Abstract: This collection contains minutes, membership lists, and other records of the Agnew Hospital Nurses Alumnae Association, an association for graduates of the Nurses Training School at Agnew Hospital which met from the mid-1910s to 1960s.
    creator: Agnew Hospital Nurses Alumnae Association.

    Biographical / Historical Notes

    The wooden frame building for the Agnew Hospital and Nurses Training School was built in 1899-1900 at 5th and Beech (1501 5th Avenue) in San Diego. The hospital was named after David Hayes Agnew (1818-1892). Agnew graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1838 and went on to practice surgery and teach anatomy at the University of Philadelphia. He gained a reputation for his skill and judgment as a surgeon. The original building became known as the Annex when a new brick building, named the Agnew Hospital and Training School for Nurses, was built in 1906. It was large enough for one hundred beds and became the main hospital and school building. The Annex was sold in 1920 to become apartments. There is no official date for the close of the main hospital and school. The building became the El Rey Hotel, and in the 1960s it was a residence for senior citizens.
    The nurses training program was a three year course. The first class of five nurses graduated in 1903, and the last class of eighteen nurses graduated in 1919. Graduates gained a reputation as being well-trained, recalling 12-hour training days, and later 20-hour shifts, and $25 per week as salary. The Agnew Nurses Association changed its name to the Agnew Hospital Nurses Alumnae Association in 1916. Annual gatherings to be held on the first Saturday in October were initiated in 1919 and lasted through the 1960s. At these meetings, professional journals and current medical topics were discussed. The Alumnae Association also kept track of Agnew nurses and their welfare. Notable graduates include Mrs. Mary Wolking (class of 1913) who spent thirty years working for the San Diego Department of Health and 21 graduates who served in the Red Cross during World War I.

    Scope and Content

    This collection contains minutes, membership lists, and other records of the Agnew Hospital Nurses Alumnae Association, an association for graduates of the Nurses Training School at Agnew Hospital which met from the 1910s-1960s. Other records include histories, articles, financial documents, correspondence, and luncheon and commencement invitation. Additionally, there is information on the curriculum of the Nurses Training School, and notices about member deaths. Records are sparse during World War I because 21 members joined the Red Cross to aid in the war effort.

    Arrangement

    This collection is arranged by material type.

    Preferred Citation

    Agnew Hospital Nurses Alumnae Association Records, MS 65, San Diego History Center Document Archives, San Diego, CA.

    Conditions Governing Access

    This collection is open for research.

    Conditions Governing Use

    The San Diego History Center (SDHC) holds the copyright to any unpublished materials. SDHC Library regulations do apply.

    Processing Information

    Collection processed by Katherine VanDrunen in March 2008 and Samantha Mills in April 2017.

    Subjects and Indexing Terms

    Agnew Hospital and Nurses Training School .
    Agnew Hospital Nurses Alumnae Association.
    Agnew, David Hayes, 1818-1892
    Correspondence
    Nurses
    Nursing schools
    Nursing schools--Alumni and alumnae
    San Diego (Calif.)