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Alice
and her wonderlands
Alice Fitzgerald pioneered in nursing
wherever the world offered an opportunity.
Betty B. Scher
HEN THE FAMOUS FICTIONAL
to learn how to wear clothes and to
had guided her daughter into the
W
Alice visited her Wonderland,
dance well, and finally to depart
profession.
she traveled by way of a rabbit hole
from the family hearth in a cloud of
or a looking glass. When Alice Fitz.
tulle and orange blossoms with a
Her Travels Begin
gerald journeyed to her lands of
highly desirable Prince Charm-
wonder she needed no such fabulous
ing.
It was for only a few years that
pathways.
Yet, at the tender age of ten, Alice
Miss Fitzgerald stayed in the United
"All I ever wanted was an open
began to alarm her family. On her
States, working at Johns Hopkins,
door. When I found one open, I
daily walks, she insisted on taking
helping reorganize the operating
went in," she has said. "Pioneering
the side of the street where what her
rooms at Bellevue, serving as super-
has always appealed to me, more
mother called "those horrible hospi-
intendent of nurses at Wilkes-Barre
than following in beaten tracks."
tals" were, standing outside and
(Pennsylvania) General and Robert
And it was her pioneering spirit that
sniffing with enjoyment "those dis-
W. Long in Indianapolis and-a po-
propelled Miss Fitzgerald through
gusting odors which came from
sition of far too great tranquility for
most of the known world during her
within." When she announced her
this energetic woman-director of
41-year nursing career, 13 years of
désire to become a nurse, her mother
student health at Wellesley College.
which were spent on foreign soil.
was struck dumb and could not
Then it was 1915, and Europe
It took her into the first World
have been more horrified had daugh-
was at war. In October the world
War before the United States be-
ter announced a decision to "become
was shocked by Edith Cavell's exe-
came involved. It guided her on her
a cook or a housemaid."
cution. In her memory, funds were
journeys with the American Red
"Then came a day in the spring of
raised in Massachusetts to send an
Cross through every country of Eu-
1902," she continued in her memoirs,
American nurse to serve with the
rope after the war and as the first
"when the urge to become a nurse
British Expeditionary Forces. It was
director of the Bureau of Nursing of
burst into flame and without
Alice Fitzgerald who was chosen as
the League of Red Cross Societies,
telling even my aunt [with whom she
the Edith Cavell Memorial Nurse,
created at the close of that great
was visiting), I went to the Johns
and she served first with British
conflict. And it laid the groundwork
Hopkins Hospital to find out how one
nurses and later with Americans-in
for her magnificent accomplishments
became a nurse. As I walked
installations ranging from a large
in so many Eastern countries.
down the old brick steps from the
general hospital at Boulogne to a
This spirit led her into nursing in
nursing office, clutching the applica-
casualty clearing station in the mud
the first place. For Alice Fitzgerald
tion blanks I felt that I was
of the Somme front. So her travels
was a socialite, a "lady" in the days
walking with wings. At last my
began.
when that status was a matter of
groping was over, and I had found a
They continued after the war,
birth. She was born in 1875 in Flor-
definite aim in life!"
when she became chief nurse of the
ence, Italy, to parents who, on their
Thus her career began. And. one
American Red Cross Commission for
honeymoon, had been so captivated
might add parenthetically: her
Europe. First there was the relief
by Europe that they settled there.
mother finally became resigned to
work, then there was the school of
Her entire education was directed
having a working woman in the
nursing to be set up in Poland, the
toward making her a success in so-
family and in later years, in true
school of public health to be started
ciety, a brilliant center of a gay
parental style, apparently even con-
in Italy, nursing education to be
circle, That she should work or em-
vinced herself that it was she who
established in Czechoslovakia, Al-
brace a career never entered her
bania, Greece, Bulgaria, Roumania,
mother's wildest dreams.
Mrs. Schor (B.S., College of Williem and
Serbia. She was opening doors.
She was, as she rather tartly wrote
Mery; Johns Hopkins, Baltimore; B.S.N.,
Johns Hopkins University) spends most of
When the League of Red Cross
in her memoirs, to "become proficient
her time with her young family, but works
Societies was created, Alice Fitzger-
in music and art. in tennis and golf.
part time as . school nurse in Baltimore.
ald became the first director of its
Reprinted from The American Journal of Nursing, Vol. 61, June 1961
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"ocrText": "Alice\nand her wonderlands\nAlice Fitzgerald pioneered in nursing\nwherever the world offered an opportunity.\nBetty B. Scher\nHEN THE FAMOUS FICTIONAL\nto learn how to wear clothes and to\nhad guided her daughter into the\nW\nAlice visited her Wonderland,\ndance well, and finally to depart\nprofession.\nshe traveled by way of a rabbit hole\nfrom the family hearth in a cloud of\nor a looking glass. When Alice Fitz.\ntulle and orange blossoms with a\nHer Travels Begin\ngerald journeyed to her lands of\nhighly desirable Prince Charm-\nwonder she needed no such fabulous\ning.\nIt was for only a few years that\npathways.\nYet, at the tender age of ten, Alice\nMiss Fitzgerald stayed in the United\n\"All I ever wanted was an open\nbegan to alarm her family. On her\nStates, working at Johns Hopkins,\ndoor. When I found one open, I\ndaily walks, she insisted on taking\nhelping reorganize the operating\nwent in,\" she has said. \"Pioneering\nthe side of the street where what her\nrooms at Bellevue, serving as super-\nhas always appealed to me, more\nmother called \"those horrible hospi-\nintendent of nurses at Wilkes-Barre\nthan following in beaten tracks.\"\ntals\" were, standing outside and\n(Pennsylvania) General and Robert\nAnd it was her pioneering spirit that\nsniffing with enjoyment \"those dis-\nW. Long in Indianapolis and-a po-\npropelled Miss Fitzgerald through\ngusting odors which came from\nsition of far too great tranquility for\nmost of the known world during her\nwithin.\" When she announced her\nthis energetic woman-director of\n41-year nursing career, 13 years of\ndésire to become a nurse, her mother\nstudent health at Wellesley College.\nwhich were spent on foreign soil.\nwas struck dumb and could not\nThen it was 1915, and Europe\nIt took her into the first World\nhave been more horrified had daugh-\nwas at war. In October the world\nWar before the United States be-\nter announced a decision to \"become\nwas shocked by Edith Cavell's exe-\ncame involved. It guided her on her\na cook or a housemaid.\"\ncution. In her memory, funds were\njourneys with the American Red\n\"Then came a day in the spring of\nraised in Massachusetts to send an\nCross through every country of Eu-\n1902,\" she continued in her memoirs,\nAmerican nurse to serve with the\nrope after the war and as the first\n\"when the urge to become a nurse\nBritish Expeditionary Forces. It was\ndirector of the Bureau of Nursing of\nburst into flame and without\nAlice Fitzgerald who was chosen as\nthe League of Red Cross Societies,\ntelling even my aunt [with whom she\nthe Edith Cavell Memorial Nurse,\ncreated at the close of that great\nwas visiting), I went to the Johns\nand she served first with British\nconflict. And it laid the groundwork\nHopkins Hospital to find out how one\nnurses and later with Americans-in\nfor her magnificent accomplishments\nbecame a nurse. As I walked\ninstallations ranging from a large\nin so many Eastern countries.\ndown the old brick steps from the\ngeneral hospital at Boulogne to a\nThis spirit led her into nursing in\nnursing office, clutching the applica-\ncasualty clearing station in the mud\nthe first place. For Alice Fitzgerald\ntion blanks I felt that I was\nof the Somme front. So her travels\nwas a socialite, a \"lady\" in the days\nwalking with wings. At last my\nbegan.\nwhen that status was a matter of\ngroping was over, and I had found a\nThey continued after the war,\nbirth. She was born in 1875 in Flor-\ndefinite aim in life!\"\nwhen she became chief nurse of the\nence, Italy, to parents who, on their\nThus her career began. And. one\nAmerican Red Cross Commission for\nhoneymoon, had been so captivated\nmight add parenthetically: her\nEurope. First there was the relief\nby Europe that they settled there.\nmother finally became resigned to\nwork, then there was the school of\nHer entire education was directed\nhaving a working woman in the\nnursing to be set up in Poland, the\ntoward making her a success in so-\nfamily and in later years, in true\nschool of public health to be started\nciety, a brilliant center of a gay\nparental style, apparently even con-\nin Italy, nursing education to be\ncircle, That she should work or em-\nvinced herself that it was she who\nestablished in Czechoslovakia, Al-\nbrace a career never entered her\nbania, Greece, Bulgaria, Roumania,\nmother's wildest dreams.\nMrs. Schor (B.S., College of Williem and\nSerbia. She was opening doors.\nShe was, as she rather tartly wrote\nMery; Johns Hopkins, Baltimore; B.S.N.,\nJohns Hopkins University) spends most of\nWhen the League of Red Cross\nin her memoirs, to \"become proficient\nher time with her young family, but works\nSocieties was created, Alice Fitzger-\nin music and art. in tennis and golf.\npart time as . school nurse in Baltimore.\nald became the first director of its\nReprinted from The American Journal of Nursing, Vol. 61, June 1961"
}