Mary Sewall Gardner

This is dedicated to all public health nurses, but especially those working in Montezuma County.  You are amazing and do fantastic work.  I honor you. 

Mary Sewall Gardner was born on February 5, 1871 in Newton, Mass.  When she was 4, her mother died.  Her father soon remarried and his new wife was a medical doctor.  Mary's early education was in private boarding schools but in 1890 she returned home in order to nurse her invalid stepmother. She also engaged in community work.


At the age of 30 she enrolled in the Newport Rhode Island Hospital Training School  Mary had been greatly inspired by her stepmother and wanted to become a physician herself.  When she completed the four year training there, she assumed the role of superintendent of nurses of the Providence District Nursing Association.  The organization blossomed under her direction and actually became a working model for other district nursing associations.

In 1912 mary and another nurse founded the National Organization of Public Health Nursing.  She served as president and was instrumental in creating the monthly periodical Public Health Nursing, where she contributed many articles and editorials.

When World War I broke out,  Mary took a leave of absence and went to Italy, where she took up the post of chief nurse with the American Red Cross Tuberculosis Commission.  She established a training school for Italian women who wished to become nurses.

In 1916 Mary published her book, Public Health Nursing, which was considered her greatest contribution to her profession.  The book was revised twice and published in several languages.  It is considered a classic.

In recognition of er pioneering efforts in public health nursing, she received an honorary master's degree from Brown University.  Shw also received the Walter Burns Saunders Medal for distinguished service to nursing.