The Washington herald., 1920-06-06

i
to Charles William Bergner, of
| June 9 in St. Pauls Church, al
| the idea they sought to inaugurate
| would evolve into concrete and
lasting establishment, leading wom-
en- from the various States and ter
ritories and the District of Column
bia, were invited to form an auxil-
iary. This call was generally re-
| sponded to with the result that the
| Ladies' National Aid Society" was
| organized and the Garfield National
Memorial Hospital became a fact.
Its object was to open the doors
| to all the afflicted who might ap-
| ply, regardless of section, race, creed
or class. Justice Samuel F. Miller
was chosen president of the original
board of directors, among whom
were such well known persons as
Hon. William Window, Judge Ar
thur Macarthur, Gen. w. T. Sherman,
| Hon. James G. Blaine. Hon. Josiah
Dent and Mrs. Eliza N. Blair. Mrs.
Carrie S. Harrison and Mrs. Fanny
Ricketts,. Mrs. Ellen T. Window was
| the first president of the National
Ladies/ Aid Society.
Secretary John A. Baker an
! nounced on May 81, 1882. that the
| hospital had been Incorporated and
had taken possession of the prop
erty known as the "Wirt House"
at 1872 G. street northwest, formerly
owned by the National Soldiers and
Sailors Orphan Home. On May 16
of that year. the board of incorpor-
| ators was formed and among the
women named to act on it were Mrs.
Benjamin Harrison, Mrs. Montgom-
cry Blair. and Mrs. Ricketts,. wife
| of Gen. Ricketts,. 1t was agreed that
each State contributing $4,000 to
the hospital should have a ward
therein named after IL.
WOMEN HEMMED SHEETS
AND MADE THE BLANKETS.
Most of the States and territories
were represented at the first organ
| ization meeting. which was held in
the Red Parlor of the Ebbl>t House,
! March %, 1882, and committee was
| appointed to arrange for George
and Martha Washington tea party
! to be held in the rotunda OF the
| Capitol. Mrs. Ricketts, later report
| ed that the consent of both Houses
had been secured and accordingly
May 6, 1882, was the date set for
the affair. The entertainment that
took place on that day from p. m.
to midnight was a dazzling one. The
| Washington Star of May said 1t
was the most delightful and brill
| liant event known in Washington"
As a matter of record it is the one
and only large ball held in the ro-
| tunda os the Capitol. The guests
represented every leader of the
city's official and social life. The
receipts obtained from the party
amounted to s4,S74.39. and expend&-
lures were only s153.3o.
The National Soldiers and Sailors
Orphan Home then gave its house
to the hospital authorities and it
was sold and the money used to
purchase the Snyder property. the
site of the present hospital. On the
| grounds was a building, and TO
equip it, Mrs. Benjamin Harrison
and Mrs. English, wife of Admiral
English, were appointed as a COM
mittee to buy furniture. etc. The
hospital was finally started with FIVE
beds, the hemming of the sheets,
binding and button holing of the
blankets and making of pillow cases
being done by the women them
| selves.
It was on January IL, 1884, that
Mrs. John A. Logan. the present
honorary president of the ladies'
| aid society, was chosen president
and for twenty-five years she held
| this position. 1t was she, assisted
b. her husband, the general, who
on May Is, 1886, acted as hostess in
the Logan mansion at a grand fete
| and bazaar to hundreds of we'll
known men and women of society.
| This was the largest charity affair
| OF years. No woman has been identi-
fed more with the success of the
hospital than Mrs. Logan and her
| connection with the institution is
| one long line Of self sacrifice and
ardent devotion to humanity.
FOREIGN GIRLS
IN PROBATION CLASS.
A training school for nurses was
organized May 16, 1889. Applicants
had to be at least % years of age.
This qualification has been modified
to admit girls of is. Miss Mar
garet A. Mullen was the first grad
uate. receiving her diploma March
81 1891. Miss Georgia NJ. Nevins,
now the director of the department
of nursing. Potomac Division, Amer
lean Red Cross, was appointed April
1, 1894, superintendent of the train
ing school. She was a graduate of
Johns Hopkins Training School, and
during the fifteen years she served
at the hospital she performed her
various responsible duties with
such wonderful skill and fidelity
that she was promoted to the posi-
tion of superintendent Of the hos
pital. Under her administration the
hospital steadily grew in popular
ity.
Mrs. Mary Logan Tucker is the
present president of the Ladies' Aid
Society, and Mrs. Clara Draper KIM
berlee treasurer. The vice presi-
dents are Mrs. p. NJ. Rixey. Mrs.
Henry X. willard, Mrs. Henry Z.
Prown.l Mrs. Richard Wainwright.
Mrs. Z. B. Grahdin. Mrs. Augustus
Gardiner and Mrs. Homer Fuller.
The graduating class is composed
Of Anita Mathilde Keller, Emily
EsAlle Clayton. Matte Virginia va
den, Grace Edna Trappef, Mildred
Ruth Moody, sEva Estelle Moody.
Florence May Wishsrd. Sibyl Car
.'line SlageL Bertha Ruth Marean,
Ouida Lewis Mundy. Name Roberta
Holway, Evelyn Flourney Hawkins.
Elsie Lorraine Keim Souhia perth.