Honoring pioneering African American nurses
Mary Mahoney
Graduating from the New England Hospital for Women and Children in Boston, MA in 1879, Mary was the first colored graduate nurse in the United States. For more than 40 years, Mary devoted her life to professional nursing, delivering services to patients in the home, clinics and hospitals, and promoting organizational development for nurses. Her life and legacy are celebrated by members of this and other professional nursing organizations and by numerous awards named in her honor.
Anne Foy Baker & the Mary Mahoney Registered Nurse Club
MMPNO was first established as the Mary Mahoney Registered Nurse Club in 1949. Anne Foy Baker invited twelve other registered nurses to a meeting in her home to meet one another and discuss the idea of establishing a professional organization.
Under her leadership, the organization was created with a two-fold mission:
- To provide information and support to one another, and
- To provide scholarship support to students pursuing education and careers in nursing.
In 2008, Ms. Baker was inducted to the Washington State Nurses Association Hall of Fame. WSNA recognized her commitment to professional nursing and to WSNA, where she exhibited vision, leadership and creativity. Her life and career reflected the highest standards of professionalism in nursing.
The Anne Foy Baker Award
Ms. Baker believed that Nursing was a “calling to serve” similar to the call to become a minister. She believed we have an obligation to provide service to our community and those who are committed to our care, a belief she demonstrated throughout her life work.
Each year, we celebrate her life and legacy by bestowing the Anne Foy Baker Award to an outstanding community member who reflects our value of community service.