Ancker Nurses Alumni Association Oral History Project
5 INTERVIEWS
DATE: August 2000
INTERVIEWER: Barbara W. Sommer
Five nurses who were both graduates of the Ancker School of Nursing and members of its alumni association were interviewed for the oral history project. Two interviews tell the story of attending the school in the 1930s during the Great Depression. Another describes attending the school during 1940s and after the Cadet Nurses Program. The fourth interview describes changes in the school, curriculum and activities during the late 1950s and early 1960s, including the relocation of the school and hospital. The fifth interview, with a 1971 graduate, describes the shift to a nine-month school year and other changes during the school’s final years of operation.
In addition, the interviews describe the nurses' careers and activities within the Alumni Association. Evident are changes in medical technology, nursing duties, and compensation. A constant thread through all is the nurses' love for their school and dedication to their chosen profession.
LENGTH OF INTERVIEWS: 11 hours 48 minutes
TRANSCRIPTS: 210 pages