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.)