Nora Spencer Hamner (January 6, 1895 – November 17, 1971) was an American

public health nurse Public health nursing, also known as community health nursing is a nursing specialty focused on public health. The term was coined by Lillian Wald of the Henry Street Settlement, or, Public health nurses (PHNs) or community health nurses "integrat ...

known for her work fighting

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

. She is known as the first public health nurse trained in Virginia.

Early life and education

Nora Spencer Hamner was born on January 6, 1895, in

Buckingham County, Virginia Buckingham County is a rural United States county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, and containing the geographic center of the state. Buckingham County is part of the Piedmont region of Virginia, and the county seat is Buckingham. B ...

, to Susan (née Henry) and Walter Clifton Hamner. She graduated from Schuyler High School in Schuyler, Virginia in 1906. She graduated from the Memorial Hospital Training School in

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, ...

in 1914.

Career

Hamner was a nurse and supervisor at the Memorial Hospital from 1913 to 1914. She was a

Darlington County, South Carolina Darlington County is a county in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 census, its population was 62,905. Its county seat is Darlington. Hartsville is the largest city in the county. Darlington County is home to the Darlington Rac ...

from 1914 to 1917. She then traveled as a field nurse across southwest Virginia to assist towns across 47 counties with developing clinics to diagnose

. She served as the executive secretary of the Richmond Tuberculosis Association from 1919 to March 31, 1962. In that role, she gave talks and worked with groups, including the

Virginia General Assembly The Virginia General Assembly is the legislative body of the Commonwealth of Virginia, the oldest continuous law-making body in the Western Hemisphere, the first elected legislative assembly in the New World, and was established on July 30, 161 ...

. She also played a large part of developing rehabilitation programs at the Pine Camp Tuberculosis Hospital. Hamner helped recruit nurses in Virginia during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. She also helped recruit nurses during the

polio Poliomyelitis, commonly shortened to polio, is an infectious disease caused by the poliovirus. Approximately 70% of cases are asymptomatic; mild symptoms which can occur include sore throat and fever; in a proportion of cases more severe s ...

epidemics of the 1940s and 1950s. She was a member of the Virginia

Red Cross The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million Volunteering, volunteers, members and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure re ...

for 35 years. Hamner was the first woman to serve on the Medical College of Virginia Board of Visitors and its executive committee. She also served on the board of trustees of the Medical College of Virginia Alumni Association of

Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) is a public research university in Richmond, Virginia. VCU was founded in 1838 as the medical department of Hampden–Sydney College, becoming the Medical College of Virginia in 1854. In 1968, the Virgini ...

. She was one of the founders of the Virginia Council on Health and Medical Care.

Personal life

Hamner lived in Richmond and had a summer cottage with a wildflower sanctuary near the

Blue Ridge Parkway The Blue Ridge Parkway is a National Parkway and All-American Road in the United States, noted for its scenic beauty. The parkway, which is America's longest linear park, runs for through 29 Virginia and North Carolina counties, linking Shenand ...

. She was a specialist on wildflowers and an avid gardener. Hamner was a nationally accredited flower show judge. She was the aunt of

Earl Hamner Earl Henry Hamner Jr. (July 10, 1923 – March 24, 2016) was an American television writer and producer (sometimes credited as Earl Hamner), best known for his work in the 1970s and 1980s as the creator of two long-running series, ''The Waltons' ...

Death

Hamner died on November 17, 1971, in Richmond. She is buried at Forest Lawn Cemetery.

Legacy and awards

Awards presented to Hamner: * 1942 - Richmond Professional Institute presented the first Nancy Vance Pin Award to Hamner for her work as a public health nurse * 1951 - Hamner received the first honorary degree presented to a woman by the Medical College of Virginia, a

Master of Science A Master of Science ( la, Magisterii Scientiae; abbreviated MS, M.S., MSc, M.Sc., SM, S.M., ScM or Sc.M.) is a master's degree in the field of science awarded by universities in many countries or a person holding such a degree. In contrast to ...

in nursing * Douglas Southall Freedom Award from the Virginia Tuberculosis Association The Virginia Tuberculosis Association established the Nora Spencer Hamner Award. It is still presented by the American Lung Association of Virginia. The Medical College of Virginia Alumni Association of Virginia Commonwealth University helped raise funds for the Mahoney-Hamner Nursing Alumni Lectureship. It was named for Anne F. Mahoney and Hamner.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hamner, Nora Spencer 1895 births 1971 deaths People from Buckingham County, Virginia Nurses from Virginia