Mapping Care Project: The History of Black Nurses in ChicagoMain MenuHistorical timelineA brief historical timeline of black nursingMapping CareSchools of NursingNursing in the Armed ForcesNursing Beyond the HospitalFighting Healthcare & Racial InjusticesBlack Nurses TodayThe Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Black Nurses in Chicago Oral History CollectionTeaching CarePhysical ExhibitBibliographyFor more information on the history of black nursing and a complete list of cited works see the following scholarly and archival sourcesAcknowledgmentsThank you for your participation and supportEditorial Team"Who We Are"Contact UsMidwest Nursing History Research Centere5433416c6e0eadc5db699a0e191fdb04e454262
Frances Reed Elliot Davis
1media/Frances-Elliott-Davis-801x1024_thumb.jpg2023-01-11T23:32:36+00:00Stephanie Smith32447eb89658c8d2e132225a5fc609642e0932a012Frances Reed Elliot Davis became the first officially registered Black nurse to be accepted into the American Red Cross Nursing Serviceplain2023-01-11T23:34:14+00:0020040211095230+0000July 2, 1918In 1915, Frances Elliot Davis, a professional nurse at Freedman's Hospital in Washington, DC, applied for Red Cross service. Undeterred by initial rrejection, Davis persisted and in 1917 became the first African American Red Cross nurseoffcially approved by the organization. Her nurse's pin was inscribed with "1-A" on the reverse. The "A" designated the wearer as African American, and this practice continued until 1949. Davis was assigned to the Town and Country Nursing Service, which had been established in 1912 as the American Red Cross Rural Nursing Service.Frances Elliot DavisStephanie Smith32447eb89658c8d2e132225a5fc609642e0932a0