Evening star., 1934-04-24
NURSES TEACHER
RECEIVES HONOR
Coveted Saunders Memorial
Medal Is Awarded to Miss
AnnabeIIa MCCrae.

A teacher Of nurses for 80 years,
who has sent more than 1000 gradu-
ates into the profession, more than
10 OF whom have become teachers
and more than half OF whom have
taught or supervised nursing, last
night was given the highest award
q graduate nurse can receive from
her profession In the United States.
She Is Miss Annabella McCrae of
Boston, instructor in the theory and
practice OF nursing at the Massa-
chusettS General Hospital, and she
was awarded the Walter Burns Saun-
ders Memorial Medal. The selection
was made on the basis Of the nurse
having given ito the profession or
to the public some outstanding con-
tribution, either in personal service
or IN the discovery of some nursing
technique that may be to the ad-
vantage Of the patient and Of the
profession"
The presentation was made as the
climax Of the first joint session of
the American Nurses Association. the
National League Of Nursing Educa-
ton and the National Organization
for Public Health Nursing, at the
Washington Auditorium last night.
Receives Ovation.
Until Miss McCrae was introduced to
the audience by DR.. Nathaniel Wales
Faxon, president of the American
Hospital Association, the selection of
the Committee on Award had been
kept secret. But the surprise was
a pleasant one and Miss McCrea was
given an ovation of several minutes
by her fellow nurses.
Endowed with fierce devotion"
DR.. Faxon said Of Miss McCrae, "she
has taught with q concrete knowl-
edge of her subject, with q crafts
manship, a spirit and q dramatic
power that has fired her students
with enthusiasm and impaired a mo-
mentum that many Of them never
lost.
BY precept and example. she has
held them implacably to their best,
so forcibly that even when they have
graduated into responsibilities Of their
own, her image stands behind them,
forcing them ever to maintain those
ideals. And through 1t all she has
held fast to the principle of the
father of nursing, Theodore Fliedner,
that the soul Of service must not be
sacrificed to the technique"
Born in Quebec.
Miss McCrae was born in Quebec
Of Highland Scotch parentage. Both
her father and mother died before
she was years of age, and she made
her home with an uncle and aunt /,
until they. too, died. She then made |
her home with an older brother until
In 1890 she entered Mclean Hospital
In Massachusetts,, graduating in 1899.
Mclean Hospital Is for mental pa
tients only, so to round out her train |
ing Miss McCrae entered Massachu- !
sets General Hospital, graduating in !
1895.
She was appointed assistant SUPER |
intendent Of nurses of the Quincy.
MASS, Hospital and Immediately en-
tered upon her duties as q teacher.
From 1902 to 1912 she was assistant |
superintendent Of nurses and part
time instructor in theory and practice
at Massachusetts General Hospital,
and since 1912 has been full-time
During the Summer of
1918 she organized q course in nurs- !
ing practice and taught it at Camp
Devens, Mass. She is the author of
, widely used textbook, Procedures
In Nursing" written in two parts, and
has also written numerous articles
pertaining to the several phases of
teaching nursing.
Fourth Recipient.
Miss McCrae Is the fourth person
to win the coveted medal, which was
established by l.. w. Saunders, I'd. of
Philadelphia, as q memorial to his
father. 1t Is inscribed simply with
Miss McCrae's name and the words
Distinguished for service in the cause
of nursing"
Previous winners Of the award
we're s. Lillian Clayton. former presi-
dent Of the American Nurses Associa-
lion, to whom It was given posthu-
nously; Mary ssweu Gardner, who