Off To Duke

HANES HOUSE, DUKE SCHOOL OF NURSING RESIDENCE 1950's
My first room ...top floor four windows from the right.

Disclaimer:  Before I pen another word on this blog, I just want to say...These are my memories, my opinions, my thoughts and may not resemble facts as they were or are. I do hope you will add a note if you take exception to my facts or want to add to them, it will be appreciated. (By the way, you will find that I may repeat my stories, jump back and forth. These stories are being written as I remember them. I am having a really good time writing and am not doing as good a job of editing myself as I should. I beg your indulgence.)

Duke Hospital in the 50's when I arrived.  This entrance is from West Campus. It is a walk that I took many times to and from class.  My dormitory, Hanes House is at top center, just off the map.  The front of the hospital is not seen.  I will be using this picture later to point out wings of the hospital.

The journey through Duke and being a nurse really began the summer of 1953.  Graduation from high school had been wonderful. The days of summer were filled with work at WESLEY LONG HOSPITAL and all kinds of advisement from the nurses there.  I recounted my visit in the summer to compete for a scholarship in an earlier blog. 

We arrived one by one. Our families, for the most part, drove us loaded with all the necessities. We came from New Jersey, Delaware, Illinois, Florida, Massachusetts, Michigan, Virginia, West Virginia, and of course North Carolina.  The picture below is the class of 1957.  On the Duke site, it says that most of the class came from other colleges.  This is not my memory. Some who graduated in 1957 came during our sophomore year after they had a year or two of college. Buttons Deikman, Mary Ann Edens,and  Katy Keller ,were transfers in.  As I write, I will refer to the members of my class by their maiden names at least to begin with.

Most of us were right out of high school and so eager to begin our life at Duke. My roommate was PAT SINETTE from West, by God, Virginia. She and I got along from the very start. She was so full of life and had her foot on the gas for full speed ahead from the beginning.  She had a saying,  "I am like Jesus, I love them all!  I was so unworldly that it was years later that I knew what she meant.  She taught me what creaming jeans meant, that everyone french-kissed, drinking beer was the done thing (especially from a straw) and that collecting artifacts from campus was OK.  We had a flagpole top from some place on campus that was hid under the head of her bed.  I adored her, was scared to do any of the thing that she did, but enjoyed her many stories and listening to her tell them.

Our room was just big enough for two single beds, one desk, two chairs and one floor lamp.  When you entered the room we each had a closet on the sides of the entry.  The bathroom was at the end of the hall.  You quickly learned to vie for shower stalls in time to get to class on time.  It was very new and sterile until we put our touches on the beds and the walls.  The most exciting item was our bulletin board.  Everything went there.  All kinds of tickets, bulletins and on and on.  I wish I had saved those items. 

We were on the third floor at the front of the building.  There was one elevator but we were discouraged in using that convenience, unless we were carrying our laundry down to the facilities on the first floor.  Freshmen were assigned to the higher floors and never to suites or private rooms. My roommate Pat, was so excited that we faced the graduate center that housed men. It that was across the street directly in front of our dorm.  It was not long before we had acquired a pair of binoculars to watch the boys. They gave us a show when they knew we were watching.  They pranced and exercised in the buff.  They were future DUKE doctors, preachers, and engineers.  Pat left Duke after Christmas break.  She was the first nurse in history that made all "f's"in her first semester.

As orientation started, we found that although we carried the same class load PLUS, there were differences between us and the East Campus women. For me it was Religion,(all freshmen at Duke too this course, it was required.) English, Sociology, Art History, plus NURSING HISTORY.  This course was taught by THELMA INGALLS

Thelma Ingalls taught us our first course
History of Nursing "The first nurse was the
first mother."

 who is nationally known.   

The nurses dormitory was Hanes House and was located on West Campus.  In those days, there was a campus for women and one for men. West Campus was for men, but the nurses needed to be near the hospital and medical facilities.  So there we were.  For most of us, the first inkling of difference came during orientation.  On East Campus the women wore a bow on the back of their head to indicate their freshman status.  Not so for us.  We were not included in that ritual or the ritual of being pledged into a sorority.  We were not allowed. Were told that, although we could participate in extra curricular activities, we would not have the time nor would we be allowed to live in a sorority setting.  It was depressing to some of my class whose mothers wanted them to follow in their steps. If we could not be included, we would have our own ritual. This philosophy lasted throughout our four years.  OUR BOW was made of gauze and adhesive tape.  We wore it proudly to classes on EAST CAMPUS. I still have mine sixty years later. I think the east girls were quite jealous of our position on West Campus.  

,,,,,,more to come!!