Contents
- Descriptive Summary
- Biographical/Historical note
- Cited Sources
- Scope and Contents note
- Related Archival Materials note
- Restrictions
- Processing Information note
- Indexed Terms
- Inventory
Collection Access
Michael Reese Hospital School of Nursing Student Enrollment Records
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- Michael Reese Hospital School of Nursing Student Enrollment Records
- Identifier
- BMRC.UIC.REESE_NURS_STUDENTREC
- Dates
- 1893-1981
- Repository
- University of Illinois at Chicago, Special Collections and University Archives at the Library of the Health Sciences
- Language
- English
- Size
- 95.91 Linear feet
- Abstract
- Michael Reese Hospital was founded on the near south side of Chicago in 1881 with a mandate to treat patients regardless of race, creed, or nationality. From 1890 to 1981, the hospital operated a training program for nurses. The Michael Reese Hospital School of Nursing Student Enrollment records include student applications for admission, academic records, and photographs. The collection is arranged into three series: “Enrolled Students,” “Withdrawn Students,” and “Deceased Students.”
Biographical/Historical note
Michael Reese Hospital was founded on the near south side of Chicago in 1881 with a mandate to treat patients regardless of race, creed, or nationality. In its early years, it served a diverse array of mostly European immigrants; by the time the hospital was shuttered in 2009, it primarily served the surrounding area’s African-American community. For much of its history, Michael Reese Hospital was dedicated to charity care as well as medical research and education. In 1890, the hospital established a training school for nurses in order to ensure a steady supply of nursing staff.
The Michael Reese Hospital School of Nursing put new students to work assisting in the hospital wards, where they learned working along with hospital physicians. In addition to practical training, students took courses in anatomy, physiology, and medicine. What began as a two-year program was extended to three years in 1895.
Many young women came to Michael Reese directly after finishing high school; some had ambitions to go beyond their vocational nursing training to attend college afterward. By the time the school closed in 1981, advancement in medical science and the increasing complexity of the nursing field led more and more prospective nurses to opt for university-based programs. Over the course of nearly a century, the Michael Reese Hospital School of Nursing graduated 4,160 students.
Cited Sources
Gordon, Sarah, ed. All Our Lives: A Centennial History of Michael Reese Hospital and Medical Center, 1881-1981. Chicago: Michael Reese Hospital and Medical Center, 1981. Jachimowicz, Elizabeth. “Remember the Nurses: Michael Reese Hospital School of Nursing, 1890-1981.” Chicago History 10 (1981): 96-98.
Scope and Contents note
The Michael Reese Hospital School of Nursing Student Enrollment records include student applications for admission, academic records, correspondence, and photographs. The Michael Reese Hospital School of Nursing Student Enrollment records are rich with sociological and demographic information about students at the school, who were mostly women. Most applications for admission include an essay on the life and ambitions of each student, along with demographic information and a small studio photo of the student. Prospective students also listed the ethnic, religious, and work backgrounds of their parents. Academic records indicate the coursework and practicum requirements of the nursing program as it evolved over the years, along with details on each student’s level of achievement. The collection is arranged into three series: “Enrolled Students,” “Withdrawn Students,” and “Deceased Students.” “Enrolled Students” and “Deceased Students” are arranged in chronological order by year of graduation. “Withdrawn Students” is arranged in chronological order by year of withdrawal.
Restrictions
Michael Reese student records between the years 1965 and 1981 are closed to researchers. The University of Illinois at Chicago agrees that in making available to researchers its manuscript collection of the student records of the Michael Reese Hospital School of Nursing student records, it will advise such researchers that the names of the individuals with whom such records are concerned are to be held in strict confidence, that no notes of such names are to be made, and that such names will not be used by the researchers, nor will they be permitted to appear in any publication resulting from the research. Students seeking access to their own records must contact ABC Data Entry, Inc., which is the record-keeping agency responsible for production of transcripts and all other records production for Michael Reese School of Nursing for the years 1965 to 1981.
ABC Data Entry, Inc. 311 N. Aberdeen St, Suite 200D Chicago, IL 60607-1250 Phone: 312-455-1199 Fax: 312-455-1195 Email: info@abcdataentry.com Customer Service: 800-528-1300
Processing Information note
Processed by CLIR funded Black Metropolis Research Consortium “Color Curtain Processing Project.” By Kristin Moo and Olle Larson, March 14, 2012.
Indexed Terms
- African American women
- Bronzeville (Chicago, Ill.)
- Chicago
- Hospitals
- Medicine
- Michael Reese Hospital Training School for Nurses
- Nursing
Inventory
“Enrolled Students” consists of records for students who graduated from the Michael Reese Hospital School of Nursing. Files for individual students include applications for admission, academic records, correspondence, and photographs. This series is arranged in chronological order by graduation year.
“Withdrawn Students” consists of records for students who withdrew from the school before graduating. Files for individual students include applications for admission, academic records, correspondence, and photographs. This series is arranged in chronological order by year of withdrawal.
“Deceased Students” consists of records for students who graduated and later died. When the school was notified of a former student’s death, that student’s file was migrated to a “deceased” file. At some point beyond 1941, this practice was discontinued. Files for individual students include applications for admission, academic records, correspondence, and photographs. This series is arranged in chronological order by graduation year.