Katharine Jane Densford

Katharine Jane Densford (1890 – 1978) was born in Crothersville, Indiana in 1890. [2] In her late teens, she was hired by a family friend to teach fourth, fifth and sixth grades at a girls’ “industrial school” which was a boarding school for girls as young as eight years old, who were termed ‘delinquents’, located in Indiana. Besides teaching the full curriculum for those grades, she also instructed in ‘manual training. She earned her B.A. degree, magna cum laude, at Miami University, Oxford, Ohio and then earned her M.A. in history at the University of Chicago, Chicago. She returned then to teaching, first Latin and German at a high school in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and then History for several years in a Bismarck, North Dakota high school.[3][4]^:97 The outbreak of World War I caused her to evaluate how to best serve her country, and she decided to become a nurse. [note 1][6]^:88–89 [3]

By 1920, she graduated from the Vassar Training Camp for Nurses, where she completed an intensive three-month educational program. Next she earned a two-year clinical nursing degree at the School of Nursing and Health of the University of Cincinnati.[3][7]

In 1925 she transitioned away from bedside nursing practice to education leadership. She become the Assistant Dean of the Illinois Training School for Nurses (program merged in 1926 into the University of Chicago's School of Nursing and ceased to exist in 1929) [8] where she also taught public health and tuberculosis nursing, and gained leadership experience.[7][6]^:91–94 She also served as Assistant Dean and Associate Director of Nursing Service for the Cook County Hospital in Chicago. [3] [6]^:84

In 1930 she became Professor and Director of the University of Minnesota School of Nursing, a tenure that lasted until she retired in 1959.[4]^:97–98[9] The University of Minnesota (UMN) was the world's first school of nursing within a university,[4]^:xvii[1][10][11][6]^:3 and Densford continued and expanded the nursing program at UMN throughout her tenure, based on a set of policies she established early on the defined the quality of the program.[4]^:8–9 Nursing education otherwise had been following an apprenticeship model and was conducted exclusively in hospital settings. During her tenure, School of Nursing faculty began providing bedside instruction, ensuring that students learned from the most-prepared people available. [6]^:96–101

In response to the high unemployment rates for nurses during the Great Depression in the 1930’s, Densford collaborated with hospitals and the university to create a “Learn and Earn program.” In that program, nurses worked in the clinical practice area (without compensation) while enrolling in university courses tuition-free, earning credits to apply toward baccalaureate and advanced degrees, and getting room and board free within that program as well. [6]^:101

Densford’s focus on finding and retaining talent resulted in a number of important hires in the 1930’s, including Cecilia Hauge, Myrtle Hodgkins (later known as Mrs. John Coe), Mildred Montag, Frances Lucier, Ruth D. Johnson, Julia Miller and Ruth Harrington. [4]^:107–109[6]^{:100–107, 133–135} During 1937-1938 Densford and Hauge went for 6 months to Europe, to attend the International Council of Nurses ICN meeting in London. Lucile Petry took her place as acting director. Densford had been with the ICN since 1929, and continued to be active in it the rest of her career. She also travelled in Russia during that period, and took further training at Teachers College, Columbia University. [6]^:125–127

Densford continued throughout the 1930’s to improve the School of Nursing’s programs in terms of content, teaching and patient care.[6]^:109–119 Powell Hall was opened in October, 1933 as a 300-unit dormitory for student nurses, which connected by tunnel to Elliot Hospital, the UMN hospital site at the time. [6]^:121–122

Densford released Hauge and Petry and many others for direct war services in leadership positions, who were replaced by bringing back retired nurses, local sourcing, and having all faculty increase their teaching load. [4]^:72–73 [6]^:137 Cecilia Hauge was chief nurse for University Base Hospital Unit 26, serving at multiple locations around Europe. [12][13] Lucille Petry went to Washington to work with the Surgeon General to help facilitate nursing education around the county. Ruth Harrington went to D.C. to serve with the National League of Nursing Education [4]^:72–73[6]^:135–136

As early as August 1940, the UMN School of Nursing under Densford’s leadership started planning for creation of Base Hospital, Unit 26. As of October of that year, the designation was official, and efforts began to locate and recruit 120 nurses. In January of 1942, Hauge and her team officially went on war footing. [14] The University of Minnesota’s United States Hospital 26 left for Oklahoma with 50 doctors, 7 dentists, and 108 nurses in February, 1942. [15][16]

Densford then turned to recruiting nurses for the war effort. Densford made nationwide appeals encouraging women to becoming nurses, stressing the war-time need for nursing as well as the permanent peacetime opportunities. [1]

The Bolton Nurse Training Act passed by congress in June, 1943 provided federal funds for housing and training costs of educating nurses, and created the Cadet Nurse Corps.[17] Opened in July, 1943, by November her program was honored nationally for enrolling the most nurses of any institution in the country.[2] [note 2]

Densford managed to find housing for these large numbers of students, find classroom space (including at Northrop Auditorium), and find teachers – despite most trained faculty having gone to war themselves already. Due to the extreme need for students, Densford and the University were able to use federal funds from the Bolton act to partially fund an addition to Powell Hall. [note 3]^:47[20] [21] While class sizes increased and instruction was accelerated to get students into the field as soon as possible, remaining faculty also served on civil defense committees and took on additional training responsibilities in the area of home health. [4]^:72–77[6]^:136–144

By January 1945, the wartime need for nurses was critical. General Norman T. Kirk, Surgeon General of the Army, characterized the shortage as the most critical since Pearl Harbor. Hospital units were going overseas with no nurses aboard. The ratio of nurses per enlisted men in overseas military hospitals had dropped from 120 per 500 to 83 per 450. At the same time, U.S. civilian hospitals were caring for 60 to 70 patients at a time with a nursing staff of only one nurse and one assistant.[22] President Roosevelt announced that due to the urgent need, he wanted to mobilize greater numbers by use of forced induction. Nationwide reaction included concern from many communities that were already operating despite drastically reduced nursing staff. [23][24] The shortage was caused in part by mixed messages from the military and Red Cross on the need for nurses, many nurses had gone to private nursing after being turned away from active service. [25] In some communities, sufficient nurses to meet quota had already signed up and were on waiting lists for physical examinations or assignments. [26]

Densford testified as head of the American Nurses Association (ANA) before the House Military Committee in February of 1945 that sufficient nurses were already available, but that bureaucracy had hindered their progress. That the numbers of nurses willing to volunteer would be available if the War Manpower Commission, or another government department were given the power to make necessary changes. She also suggested that black nurses and male nurses be given the opportunity to serve their country.[27] In testimony before the Senate Military Affairs Committee in March, Densford stated that nurses who have applied for military service had waited as long as seven months for assignment. [28]

The draft bill stalled in the senate and was later withdrawn. By June of 1945 the U.S. Army directed the Red Cross to stop taking applications, as they had all the nurses they needed from voluntary enlistment. [29]

Densford was president of the American Nurses Association (ANA) from 1944 to 1948.[30] During her presidency, the American Nurses Association hosted the International Council of Nurses in 1947 at Atlantic City. The Ninth ICN Quadrennial Congress - attended by 700 nurse representatives and over 5,000 delegates representing 250,000 nurses in 32 countries - was a major step forward in re-establishing international peacetime relations in the healthcare community. Densford was in charge of all arrangements (along with Ella Best, Secretary) which included locating lodgings for attendees among local residents, and raising funds to cover travel costs.[31][32][note 4][34] Also during her term the ANA enacted a five-point program to increase the number of nurses in the US. [2] [35] [36]

Early in the post-war years the ANA opened its membership to black nurses. Authorized at the 1946 Biennial, and enacted during the 1948 House of Delegates meeting, the ANA changed its membership requirements for the purpose of enabling black nurses to join. Since ANA membership existed through state membership, and southern state organizations banned black nurses from joining, those black nurses had also been effectively banned from ANA membership. The ANA waived the requirement of state organization membership so that individual nurses who – due to their race – were not permitted membership in their state chapter could join ANA. The final vote in 1948 was by anonymous paper ballot. Also during that same meeting, the Alumnae Association of the Freedmen’s Hospital School of Nursing presented a resolution urging those nine state nurses associations to drop that membership restriction. The House of Delegates accepted that resolution. [37] [38]

Densford was active throughout her career in many nursing organizations. She was president of the Minnesota League of Nursing Education, president of the Minnesota Nurses Association, second vice-president of the International Council of Nurses (1947-1957), president of Alpha Tau Delta, National Fraternity for Professional Nurses (1936-1938) and president of Sigma Theta Tau, International Honor Society of Nursing (1941-1945). She also chaired the first fund-raising campaign for the American Nurses Foundation after retiring. [9][4]^:97[4]^:57

In 1984, Densford was inducted in to the American Nurses Association Hall of Fame. [39] [40]

The day after her retirement in 1959, she announced her engagement to Carl A. Dreves. She died in Saint Paul, Minnesota in 1978 and is buried in Acacia Park Cemetery, Mendota Heights, Minnesota. [9][4]^:98

• Densford, K. J.: How shall we select and prepare the undergraduate nurse?” American Journal of Nursing, 32: (1932). 557-566.
• Densford, K. J. “Adequacy of nursing care of the patient.” Hospitals 10, (1936). 83-85.
• Densford, K. J. & Everett, M. S. Ethics for Modern Nursing. Philadelphia W.B. Saunders. 1946.Densford, K.J. ”Laura R. Logan.” in Makers of Nursing History, ed. M. R. Pennock, 90-91. New York: Lakeside Publications, 1940.
• Densford, K. J. “Community participation in the U.D. Cadet Nurse Corps recruitment. American Journal of Nursing, 44: (1944). 430-431.
• Densford, K. J. (1945). ANA Testimony on Proposed Draft Legislation: Statement Made by Katharine J. Densford before the Senate Military Affairs Committee, March 23, 1945. The American Journal of Nursing 45(5): 383-385.
• Densford, K. J. “Nursing at a mid-century milestone. International Nursing Bulletin, 7 (1951). 8-10.
• Densford, Katherine; Grainger, Margaret (Winter 1953). "Public Affairs: The United Nations Today – A Report on Unesco". Educational Affairs. Phi Delta Kappa. 32 (2): 158-159. JSTOR 42922908. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
• Dreves, K. D. “This I believe about nursing in a changing world.” Nursing outlook, 12 (1964). 50-51.

• UMN Katharine J Densford International Center for Nursing Leadership
• Speeches, Articles and Papers. Katharine Jane Densford papers, University of Minnesota Archives
• Biographical Information. Katharine Jane Densford papers, University of Minnesota Archives.
• Retirement Book. Katharine Jane Densford papers, University of Minnesota Archives.
• Illinois School for Nurses History
• Drafting Women
• 26th Unit