The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1901-06-08
TRAINED NURSES HERITAGE
DIR. DAYS. TELLS THEM OF THEIR
OPPORTUNITIES.

for Nurses-CongratuIat ant
showers of Flowers for Every Mem
Der.
Twenty-six young women, the class
of 1901, New Haven Training Schoo
for Nurses, received their diplomas
| last evening and heard an admirable
address on 1.-THE Heritage of the Train
ed Nurse by DR. e. P. Davis of the
Philadelphia general hospital. They
bore their honors gracefully, were
roses and carnations, AMI wound ur
roses and arnations, and wound uI
the festivities by a reception and dance
in the dormitory, where they met their
many friends and personally accepted
| congratulations.
| The class was the largest in the his
| tory of the school, and for the first
time since it's institution twentyseven
years ago the members of the gradual
ing class wore white. Clifford chapel,
where the exercises were held, was
crowded before the programme opened,
and there were many prominent socie-
ty people in the audience.
General S. e. Merwin presided and
an orchestra furnished music. There
were no decorations save half a hun
dred or more huge punches of blossoms
which were later presented to the MEM
bers of the class.
The orchestra played bright march
and the graduates and undergraduates
marched up the main aisle and took
seats in the semi circle. Rev. Mr.. Mar
lett offered prayer and General Mer-
win made few remarks to the class.
saying the school was established
twenty-seven years ago and had sent
out nearly 500 trained nurses.
DR.. Thomas J. Bergin of this city,
lately member Of the hospital staff
and now in practice here, gave tenor
solo in such excellent style that he was
forced to respond to an encore.
The address of the evening spoken to
the class was then given by DR.. Davis
of Philadelphia. He said in part:
II came tonight to meet you much
as if one had left you rich gift, a for
tune, heritage, not as with burden
of advce-you have already had that,
for you have been trained-but to con-
graduate you on your graduation. You
inherit what some other women do not,
a broad, generous and true charity,
and you have something that others
have not, the spirit of your profession.
You should esteem it a great privilege
to enter your splendid profession in this
fine city holding a great university
The influences of your environment
give you what many others fail to
possess. So, then. be good trained
nurses. There is vast difference be-
tween the conditions now and
those of twenty-seven years ago,
when this school was started. One
Of the entering wedges of civili |
cation come into existence with the |
trained nurse. Contrast her work I'M
der present methods with the shiftless, |
careless ideas of quarter of a century |
ago. Think what a territory geograph !
cally your service covers. The United !
States war department employs train |
I'd nurses for work in China, the Phil |
ppines, everywhere. What an enor-
nous sweep for activity you have.
Glance at the discoveries of the past |
twenty-five years, the use of septics, |
The X-rays and ALL With all this
this new intelligence and
he world sweeping on day by day,your
ield has no limits, there is no curb to
your possibilities.
1.-THE world Is not going to stop re-
5olving just because you have gradual
ID. Remember that. This school will
continue to do its duty, Yale college
Will keep on just the same, the news
papers will be printed just as if nothing
lad happened at all. You must go out /
nto this world and make your way and
ind your opportunity. And when it
zones don't disregard it, but cling to
t. You will make acquaint ances and
orm friendships and make a reputa-
ion, and flourish nightly. Such is
his heritage of yours. Don't destroy,
wen mar, it. Your behavior, your bear
ng, your dignity as you show it, will
olive many of the problems you will
meet. Wear your profession as you
wear your uniform-let 1T adorn you.
Underneath all this is the formation
# character. 1t is far better to be a
GOOD woman than very skilful nurse,
lnless you can combine both. The fin
st thing in the world is an American
at her true and best develop
nent. The old saying is that every
knows q. king, or can influence
king and you should feel this. Let
ne congratulate you most heartily and
i've you my best wishes for your flu
ure."
Then came the distribution Of diplo-
1as and pins, and the orchestra played
MEANWHILE There was generous ap-
lause as the young women stepped for
ard to receive the sheepskins, and al I
lost everybody in the audience seemed
D have personal interest in the mat
az. This took some time and was fol-
,wed by the reading of a letter to the
lass from Mrs. Virginia Curtis, presi-
ent of the school. The missve was I
cad by Miss Emily Belts and was full
f good and kindly advice to the gradu- I
ties. '"The past is beyond recall" she ,
-rote, tbut the present and the future
re real-make the best the very best, ,
f them" |
Then came the distribution of bou-
uets, great stack Of Them many be- '
lg tributes to the nurses from families 8
nd friends where they had alleviated ,
lffering and spent sleepless nights and ,
avs in care of their charges. Miss ,
onlan, of this city, one of the most :
opular and experienced nurses in the !
ass seemed to be 1.-THE belle of the :