The commitment of nurses worldwide to excellence in health care, research, and teaching has made this profession an integral and indispensable part of today's medical establishment. Schools of nursing and institutions supporting nursing programs can now carry this commitment forward by making the research resources of Teachers College, Columbia University, part of their own teaching libraries.

The History of Nursing is a unique historical collection that chronicles the development of nursing education and the profession of nursing. Included are 1,500 monographs and 85,000 items such as letters, minutes, records, government reports, position papers, and photographs providing insights into the lives of nursing pioneers and the ongoing progress of their successors. This comprehensive collection is divided into three parts.

*Part I: The Adelaide Nutting Historical Nursing Collection The Nutting Collection contains more than 1,500 monographs and documents about the history of medicine, nursing, and hospitals, from the 15th century through the early 20th century.

Particularly valuable are documents from French hospitals of the 17th and 18th centuries, plus articles, books, and correspondence by Florence Nightingale.

Part II: The Archives of the Department of Nursing Education, Teachers College, Columbia University Featured in the Archives are the letters, diaries, family papers, and photographs of Adelaide Nutting and other leaders in nursing education, including Lavinia Dock, Isabel Stewart, and R. Louise McManus.

Studies performed by the Columbia University Department of Nursing Education and by national organizations, government reports on health and nursing (particularly during the World Wars), and a biographical file of prominent nursing pioneers are included. This part of the collection contains 85,000 items, dating from 1899 to the present.

Supplement to Part II: The Archives The Supplement to Part II, released in 1986, adds another body of important material to this collection. It contains the personal and professional papers of two of nursing's outstanding 20th-century leaders: Eleanor C. Lambertsen and Eugenia K. Spalding.

Eleanor Lambertsen was active in many facets of nursing, including the National League for Nursing and the American Hospital Association. Included in this section are records from her many government positions with the Department of Health, Education and Welfare, the Veteran's Administration, and the Department of Defense, plus her work for New York State and many prestigious health foundations.

The papers of Eugenia K. Spalding document her major role in the education of nursing faculty and the appraisal and improvement of nursing education programs. Among the materials included are papers pertaining to her work in the United States Public Health Service, her tenure at Teachers College, Columbia University, as well as her lectures, addresses, and published works.

Portions of The History of Nursing collection are from the Adelaide B. Nutting Historical Nursing Collection and the Archives of the Department of Nursing Education at Milbank Memorial Library, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York.

The Nutting Collection contains more than 1,500 monographs and documents about the history of medicine, nursing, and hospitals, from the 15th century through the early 20th century.

Particularly valuable are documents from French hospitals of the 17th and 18th centuries, plus articles, books, and correspondence by Florence Nightingale.

* Note: MARC Records are only available for Part I: The Adelaide Nutting Historical Nursing Collection

Individual fiches may be purchased from this collection.