Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-05-07
TO WATCH THE SICK
Graduation of GLASS of Nurses at Freed
mons Hospital
DR.. Rnnkin's Address and Advice to
by Commissioner Ross.

The commencement exercises Of the first
graduating class of the Freedmen's Hos
pital Training School for Nurses took place
last evening at the First Congregational
Churc h, corner of 10th and G streets north
west in the presence Of an audience which
filled every seat on the floor and in the gal
leries.
The graduating class with the faculty of
the school, the post-graduates and the
speakers of the evening occupied seats on
the platform. The class was composed of
the Misses Luci Viola Ashton, Sara Iredel
Fleetwood, Anna NJ. Green, Letitia Pierce
Sarah A. Shorter, NJ. Gertrude Smith and
Elizabeth Williams Tyler of the District
of Columbia. Navinia L. Blackburn Of
Pennsylvania, Julia Burke and Annie
Amelia SimmS of Maryland, l.. Isabella
Foust of North Carolina. Laura A. Owens
of West Virginia, Antoinette Martina Kicks
and Marie Louise Thornton of Ohio, An
ME b. Robinson of Tennessee and A. Eliza
Smith of Virginia. The interneS or post
graduates were John w. Mitchell and Ed
ward d. Wiliiston of North Carolina. Will
Erwin of Georgia, Henry w. Furniss of
New York, Jackson B. Shepard of Penn
sylvania, and Charles l. West Of the Dis
triCt of Columbia.
The members Of the faculty present were
Drs. ID. II. Williams, who presided; z. A
Balioch, j. Melvin Lamb, Ernest E. King
5. Rogers West, Frederick E. Maxey and
Miss Sarah c. Ebersole.
After the performance of some musical
selections by Prof. Henry Donch's Orches-
ira, feeling invocation was offered by the
venerable Rev. Alexander Crummell.
DIR. Williams read brief but very inter-
esting paper relating the history of the
movement which led up to the formation
OF the training school and the care that has
always been followed in admitting caud-
dates for membership in the class.
sh-
OPP Satteree of the diocese of Washington,
Bishop keane, Bishop Hurst and other
promiaent men. who were invited to attend,
reSretting their inability to be present.
Address to Graduates.
The address to the graduating class was
delivered by Rev. DR.. Teunis S. Hamln,
pastor Of the Church of the Covenant, and
was exceedingly appropriate. 1t abounded
IN the best sort of advice to those to whom
it was addressed, and was listened to by
them and the large audience with the most
profound attention.
At the outset of his remarks DIR. HamIin
congratulated the class upon the fact that
they had graduated, and also that they
were about to enter upon most honorable
calling. Amidst all the arguments that
have been advanced" said he in reference
to Woman's proper sphere, her heaven-born
gift of being nurse has never been called
in question. You must appreciate the dig
certainly deserving of being called pro-
fessioa, but while you must not consider
yourselves to be physicians, you must have
a geneal knowledge of medicine and such
skillful work as will he demanded of you
certainly stands close beside that of the
surgeon and physician.
In former times It was thought that love
was q better training for the care of the
sick than knowledge acquired in the hos
pital, but this belief has gradually passed
away. The profession of the trained nurse
is much older than Is generally supposed
and 1t was just about a century ago that it
came into use.
In 1I9S DR.. Valentine organized in New
\ ork the first training school for nurses
but it was not until 1851 that the institu-
tion came to be recognized generally. In
that year Florence Nightingale went to the
Crimea with ninety-tWo nurses, and demon
strated what could De cone for the sick and
the wounded by those who had had special
education for the purpose. Since then the
world.
District nursing among the sick Door is
one of the greatest OF beneticences but
whether you labor among the high or the
lowly, your vocation has an honorable place
Do not. however, PROFESSIONALISM yourselves
too much. You have the right to f,e paid for
your skill. You have the right to Sell yo,lr
services in the best market, and thus have
an opportunity to lay by something for old
age put II you are too energetic in this
direction you will become mercenary.
The public eXpac.s that physical toll
must be paid for every moment. but that
the trained worker must not drive too close
bargain and urge you to bestoW YOUR
skill in any direction that you can ard do
justice to yourselves.
BE not overprofessional and draw the
line too closely as to what you will and
what you will not 10. One great cause of
prejudice on the part of the public against
trained nurses has been that there are so
many of them who want more waiting upon
than all the rest of the household put TO-
Sether. If the welfare of the patient de-
mandS II, do not hesitate to wash wiudOry
or scrub a floor Be willing to do ANYTHING
that will supplant sickness with health"
In conclusion DR.. Hamin said: "Remeraber
that the nurse is for the patient, not the
patient for the nurse. Do your full duty
and all with whom you come in contact will
rise UP and call you blessed"
Diplomas Presented.
In presenting the diplomas to the grad
yates and internes, President Ross of the
Con- missioners of the District of Columbia
congratulated the members of the gradual
ing class, and DIR. Williams of the Freed
mems Hospital on the work that had been
accomplished by both. DR.. Williams was
he SAID entitled to special credit, because he
had been able to establish the training
school without getting a single dollar from
Congress.
Much regret was expressed that Secretary
Hoke Smith and other speakers whose
names We're printed on the program found
at the last moment that they could not at
tend. The benedction was pronounced by
Rev. ]. +. Rankin, president of Howard Uni
versity.