​Women of Medical History: Mary Eliza Mahoney

By Tiana Hodge 
 
Going into the medical field seemed challenging, until I had the opportunity to learn from a nurse. One thing that stuck out to me was the support that the nurses were willing to give. When I learned about all the opportunities that come with and from nursing, it was then that I continued working towards my goal of becoming a registered nurse. I have been able to see some examples and hands-on training of the expertise that goes into being in the medical field. Going into the medical field has always been my dream. Knowing that I can help save and make a difference in others’ lives is important to me.  
 
Mary Eliza Mahoney is America’s first African American woman to become a registered nurse. Born in the spring of 1845, in Dorchester, Massachusetts. Her life was full of discrimination, racism and opposition. At the age of ten she attended Phillips school which was one of the first integrated schools in Boston. She started working as a cook and maid at the New England Hospital for Women and Children. She was accepted into the New England nursing program in 1878 at the age of thirty-three. This hospital only allowed one African American and one Jewish student per year. 
 
Out of a class of forty, Mary and two white women were the only students to complete the nursing program. She worked as a private duty registered nurse for many years. She predominantly worked for white wealthy families. One of her goals was to change the perception of black nurses among patients and families. Back then most of the members of the American Nurses Association were white and were not welcoming. In 1908, she co-founded a more inclusive nurses association called the National Association of Colored Graduate Nurses. This association aimed to support and congratulate the accomplishments of all outstanding nurses and eliminate racial discrimination in the nursing community. 
 
Mary retired in 1912, as the director of the Howard Colored Orphan Asylum in Kings Park, Long Island, New York. Where she helped black children and black elderly persons. During her retirement she actively participated in the advancement of civil rights in the US. She greatly supported the women's suffrage movement. After women's suffrage was achieved in the US, she was one of the first women in Boston, Massachusetts to register to vote. 
 
In 1936, the NACGN established the Mary Mahoney award. The NACGN merged with the American Nurses Association in 1951, the award was continued. The Mary Mahoney award is currently continued by the American Nurses Association in recognition of significant contributions in advancing equal opportunities in nursing for members of minority groups. In 1976, Mary Mahoney was highly recognized professionally, by being inducted into the American Nurses Association Hall of Fame. She was also inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in 1993. In April of 2006, Mary was officially recognized and honored by the United States Congress, in a House of Representatives Resolution, as being America’s first professionally trained African American Nurse.