History of medical practice in Illinois - Bushnell Historical Society

The Illinois Training School for Nurses 479the Fair, the Woman's Exposition Board, deeply grateful for the servicesrendered by the school, gave the "entire furnishings, with the exception ofthat which has been reserved to present to the Provident Hospital, to theIllinois Training School for Nurses without cost to them." In this way theschool obtained certain equipment it had long needed. An official awardwas also bestowed upon the school.On July 1, 1893, Miss Lavinia L. Dock, another Bellevue graduate, wasappointed superintendent of the school. She remained about two yearsand was succeeded by Miss Isabell Mclsaac of the class of 1888, the first ofthe school's own graduates to become its superintendent. During her administration,the great step forward was the extension of the course fromtwo to three years. Within ten years this extension was accepted by theleading nursing schools of the country.In 1895 the custom was established of grading pupil nurses on theirpractical as well as theoretical work. Another very important developmentstarted at this time, namely graduate work, and by 1899, postgraduate workwas regularly offered to the school's alumnae during July, August andSeptember.So rapidly was the number in the school increasing, that in 1892 it wasagain necessary to extend living quarters. A lease was signed for a flat in thebuilding just north of the nurses home, the rest of the building to be leasedto the school for five years. The next step was the purchase, in 1897, °^ tnebuilding at 308 Honore Street for the sum of §9100. The school did notoccupy the two-story cottage until a year later when, at an expense of$2,731.95, it was put into condition for the nurses and a bridge was builtfrom it to the home. Since more room was still needed, it was decided to adda wing, four stories and a basement in the form of a great L, extendingsouth and east from the original building. This work was begun in August1899 and completed early in 1900 at a cost of $10,509.21. The upper floorwas equipped as an infirmary; since 1895 it had been the rule to assign anurse to take care of those nurses who were sick, and this new "ward" wasappropriately named the "Margaret Lawrence Rooms."In 1900, the Board of Managers suffered the lossthrough death of twoof their most able and untiring members: Mrs. A. A. Carpenter and Mrs.Edward Wright. Both were charter members. Mrs. Carpenter had served formany years as second and then first Vice-president. Mrs. Wright served bothas Corresponding Secretary and as second Vice-president, and her interestnever abated. The twenty years' service of these women, closing with thecentury, measured also twenty years of notable achievement by the schoolwhich they fostered and in whose continued existence their ideals foundan extended expression. Little did the founders of the Illinois TrainingSchool for Nurses realize how far-reaching an influence they were creatingin their battle against prejudice, political antagonism and poverty.