Gladys L. Catchings (April 27, 1901 – September 24, 1992) was an American nurse, hospital administrator, and nurse educator. She was at the center of a 1928 controversy when she was accepted for post-graduate work at Sloane Hospital for Women in New York City, then lost her place when her race became known.
Gladys L. Catchings | |
|---|---|
 Gladys L. Catchings, from a 1928 publication | |
| Born | April 27, 1901 Georgetown, Quitman County, Georgia |
| Died | September 24, 1992 (age 91) Chicago, Illinois |
| Occupation(s) | Nurse, nurse educator, hospital administrator |
Early life and education
editCatchings was born in Georgetown, Georgia, the daughter of Walter Titus Catchings Sr. and Lucy Davis Catchings. She completed her nursing training at the Howard University's Freedmen's Hospital in 1922.[1] She was one of the twelve founding members (known as "Jewels") of the Chi Eta Phi, a nursing sorority.[2][3] She earned a master's degree in nursing from Catholic University of America.[4][5]
Career
editCatchings was a registered nurse. She taught at the Tuskegee Institute, and was head nurse of the obstetrics department at Freedmen's Hospital in Washington, D.C.[6] In 1928 she was accepted for graduate coursework at Sloane Hospital for Women in New York City. When she arrived, she was the only Black nurse at Sloane; after she attended one class, Sloane removed her from the course because she was Black.[7] The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) objected,[8] saying the hospital's action was "un-American",[9] and stating that "It is well known that there is need of more colored doctors and nurses in this country. It is also well known that the opportunities accorded them for the full and adequate education and training they are eager to have are exceedingly limited."[10] The case made headlines nationwide.[11][12][13] Catchings' experience was discussed in the context of other publicized racial discrimination incidents at the hospital.[14]
Later in her career, Catchings was a nurse in the District of Columbia Public Schools, until she retired in 1966. From 1966 to 1969, she was head nurse at the Hebrew Home for the Aged.[4]
Personal life
editCatchings retired to Georgia, but moved to Chicago for her last years, and died there in 1992, at the age of 91.[4][5]
References
edit- ^ "17 Nurses Graduate; Diplomas Given to those Finishing at Freedman's Hospital". Evening star. 1922-05-04. p. 42. Retrieved 2024-02-03 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Miller, H. S. (1968). The history of Chi Eta Phi Sorority, Inc. 1932-1967. Association for the Study of Negro Life and History. ASALH Press: Durham, NC
- ^ "Founders - Chi Eta Phi Sorority, Inc". 2021-12-07. Retrieved 2024-02-03.
- ^ a b c "Deaths: Gladys L. Catchings, Nursing Instructor". The Washington Post. September 30, 1992. Retrieved February 3, 2024.
- ^ a b "Gladys Catchings". Chicago Tribune. 1992-09-30. Retrieved 2024-02-03.
- ^ Freedmen's Hospital (Washington D.C.) (1932). Report of the Freedmen's Hospital to the Secretary of the Interior. U.S. Government Printing Office. pp. iii.
- ^ "Colored Nurse Ousted from Hospital Threatens Suit". Democrat and Chronicle. 1928-09-26. p. 5. Retrieved 2024-02-03 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ H. J. S. (December 1928). "The N.A.A.C.P. Battle Front: A Hospital's Prejudice". The Crisis. 35 (12): 405–406, 422 – via Internet Archive.
- ^ "Hospital Color Barrier Charged". Daily News. 1928-09-25. p. 276. Retrieved 2024-02-03 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Medicine: Negro Nurse". Time. 1928-10-08. ISSN 0040-781X. Retrieved 2024-02-03.
- ^ "Hospital Segregation Arouses New Yorkers". The Black Dispatch. 1928-10-04. p. 1. Retrieved 2024-02-03 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Negro Nurse, Ousted from Job, May Bring Suit Against Hospital". The Daily Worker. 1928-09-27. p. 5. Retrieved 2024-02-03 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Nurse in Hospital Course Ousted Because of Race". The Independent-Record. 1928-09-30. p. 7. Retrieved 2024-02-03 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Citizens Commend Expose by the Age of Discriminatory Conditions at the New Presbyterian Hospital". The New York Age. 1928-12-01. p. 1. Retrieved 2024-02-03 – via Newspapers.com.