author
Julia C. (Julia Catherine) Stimson
1881–1948
A pioneering nurse and military leader, Julia C. Stimson helped transform nursing into a respected profession while opening new paths for women in the U.S. Army. Her wartime letters offer a vivid, personal view of service, courage, and leadership during World War I.
1 Audiobook
Finding themselves : the letters of an American army chief nurse in a British hospital in France
by Julia C. (Julia Catherine) Stimson
About the author
Julia Catherine Stimson (May 26, 1881–September 30, 1948) was an American nurse whose career combined public service, education, and military leadership. Born in Worcester, Massachusetts, she earned a degree from Vassar College and later became a leading figure in professional nursing. Her letters from World War I were collected and published in 1918 as Finding Themselves: the Letters of an American Army Chief Nurse in a British Hospital in France.
After joining the Army Nurse Corps in 1917, Stimson served overseas and became chief nurse of the American Red Cross in France and director of nursing services for the American Expeditionary Forces. In 1919, she became superintendent of the Army Nurse Corps and the first dean of the Army School of Nursing, holding the post until 1937. She was the first woman in the U.S. Army to attain the rank of major.
Stimson later served as president of the American Nurses’ Association from 1938 to 1944. In 1948, shortly before her death, she was promoted to colonel, recognizing a lifetime of influence on military nursing and the nursing profession.