Millie E. Hale on:
[Wikipedia]
[Google]
[Amazon]
Millie Essie Gibson Hale (27 February 1881–6 June 1930) was an American nurse, hospital founder, social activist, and civic worker.
In 1916 she founded
In 1916 she and her husband founded a hospital which was the first in Nashville to treat African-American patients year round. At the time, African-Americans were denied care at other hospitals due to financial and racial discrimination. Hale served as the hospital's head nurse and administrator. In addition to these responsibilities, she created a monthly newspaper educating people on health issues, set up programs for prenatal care and nurse training, bought land for playgrounds, and eventually transformed the Hale home into a community center. The hospital was open for over two decades and closed eight years after her death in 1930. It started with only a 12-bed hospital and it grew to 75 beds and thousands of patients were treated there from all over the South.
Millie E. Hale Hospital
The Millie E. Hale Hospital was a hospital in Nashville, Tennessee that served African-American patients. It was the first hospital to serve black patients year-round. The hospital was opened by a husband and wife team, Dr. John Henry Hale and Mil ...
with her husband, John Henry Hale, M.D., in Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the List of muni ...
, the first year-round hospital for African Americans in the city.
Early life and education
Millie Essie Gibson was born on 27 February 1881 inNashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the List of muni ...
, one of five children born to Henry and Nannie Gibson. Her father was a blacksmith. In 1901, she graduated from Fisk University's Normal School
A normal school or normal college is an institution created to Teacher education, train teachers by educating them in the norms of pedagogy and curriculum. In the 19th century in the United States, instruction in normal schools was at the high s ...
, subsequently studying at New York City's Graduate School for Nurses. In 1927, she earned her bachelor's degree from Fisk.
In December 1905, Millie E. Gibson married John Henry Hale
John Henry Hale (June 5, 1878 – March 27, 1944) was a prominent surgeon, professor, and philanthropist who played a prominent role in establishing the black medical community. Hailed as the "dean of American Negro surgeons," Hale conducted over ...
in Davidson County, Tennessee
Davidson County is a county in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is located in the heart of Middle Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 715,884, making it the second most populous county in Tennessee. Its county seat is Nashville ...
. John Henry Hale was a prominent surgeon and educator, and the couple went on to have two daughters together: Mildred and Essie.
Career
In 1916 she and her husband founded a hospital which was the first in Nashville to treat African-American patients year round. At the time, African-Americans were denied care at other hospitals due to financial and racial discrimination. Hale served as the hospital's head nurse and administrator. In addition to these responsibilities, she created a monthly newspaper educating people on health issues, set up programs for prenatal care and nurse training, bought land for playgrounds, and eventually transformed the Hale home into a community center. The hospital was open for over two decades and closed eight years after her death in 1930. It started with only a 12-bed hospital and it grew to 75 beds and thousands of patients were treated there from all over the South.
Death and legacy
Millie E. Hale died in 1930, aged 49 years, in Nashville. The Hales were inducted into the Tennessee Health Care Hall of Fame at Belmont University on October 16, 2018.References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hale, Millie Essie Gibson 1881 births 1930 deaths Hospital administrators Fisk University alumni American nurses