[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 117 (Tuesday, September 19, 2006)]
[House]
[Pages H6673-H6674]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page H6673]]
  HONORING MARY ELIZA MAHONEY, AMERICA'S FIRST PROFESSIONALLY TRAINED 
                         AFRICAN-AMERICAN NURSE

  Mr. DEAL of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 386) honoring Mary 
Eliza Mahoney, America's first professionally trained African-American 
nurse, as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                            H. Con. Res. 386

       Whereas Mary Eliza Mahoney was born May 7, 1845, in 
     Dorchester, Massachusetts, to Charles Mahoney and Mary Jane 
     Seward Mahoney;
       Whereas Mary Eliza Mahoney, at the age of 33, was accepted 
     as a student nurse at the hospital-based program of nursing 
     at the New England Hospital for Women and Children;
       Whereas Mary Eliza Mahoney was one of four students, of a 
     class of 40, who completed nursing at the New England 
     Hospital for Women and Children in 1879;
       Whereas Mary Eliza Mahoney devoted her time and efforts 
     unselfishly to the National Association of Colored Graduate 
     Nurses and was installed as the Official Chaplin;
       Whereas Mary Eliza Mahoney's motto was ``Work more and 
     better the coming year than the previous year.'';
       Whereas Mary Eliza Mahoney delivered the first annual key 
     note speech of the National Association of Colored Graduate 
     Nurses and established the Mary Eliza award, which today 
     continues as the Mary Eliza Mahoney Award bestowed biennially 
     by the American Nurses Association;
       Whereas Mary Eliza Mahoney supported the suffrage movement 
     and was the first African-American professionally trained 
     nurse to receive retirement benefits from a fund left by a 
     Boston physician to care for 60 nurses, who received twenty-
     five dollars every three months as long as they lived;
       Whereas Mary Eliza Mahoney's gravesite is in Woodlawn 
     Cemetery, Everett, Massachusetts, and the headstone on her 
     grave states, ``The First Professional Negro Nurse in the 
     U.S.A.'';
       Whereas Mary Eliza Mahoney was inducted into the American 
     Nurses Association Hall of Fame in 1976;
       Whereas Mary Eliza Mahoney advanced the nursing profession 
     by fostering high standards of nursing practice and 
     confronting issues affecting professional nurses, such as the 
     shortage of nurses;
       Whereas today the shortage of nurses is a crisis, estimated 
     to be 110,000 nurses, and is expected to increase to 
     2,800,000 by 2020 if this trend continues; and
       Whereas nursing is a critical investment to the delivery of 
     high-quality, cost-effective patient care, and the Nation 
     should invest in and value nursing care: Now, therefore, be 
     it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring), That the Congress--
       (1) honors Mary Eliza Mahoney, the first African-American 
     nurse for an outstanding nursing career, dedication to the 
     United States nursing profession, and exemplary contributions 
     to local and national professional nursing organizations;
       (2) recognizes Mary Eliza Mahoney as the first 
     professionally trained African-American nurse, and honors 
     other African-American nurses who practice nursing with 
     distinction;
       (3) honors and supports the goals and activities of 
     National Nurses Week;
       (4) promotes further understanding and public awareness of 
     the history of American nurses, who practiced nursing with 
     compassion and devotion and transmitted new scientific 
     knowledge using science-based nursing practice; and
       (5) advocates for women of color to enter nursing and 
     supports strategies to counteract the shortage of nurses.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Georgia (Mr. Deal) and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Georgia.


                             General Leave

  Mr. DEAL of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their 
remarks and to add extraneous material to the bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Georgia?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. DEAL of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, today I rise in support of House Concurrent Resolution 
386, honoring Mary Eliza Mahoney, as America's first professionally 
trained African American nurse.
  Born in 1845, Mary Eliza Mahoney lived with her parents, Charles 
Mahoney and Mary Jane Steward Mahoney. For 15 years, Mary Eliza worked 
alternately as a cook, janitor, washerwoman, and an unofficial nurse's 
assistant at the New England Hospital for Women and Children in 
Roxbury, Massachusetts.
  In 1878, at the age of 33, she was admitted as a student into the 
hospital's nursing program. After graduation, 16 months later, Mary 
Eliza worked primarily as a private-duty nurse. Her nursing career 
ended as director of an orphanage in Long Island, New York, a position 
she had held for over a decade.
  As the resolution states, Mary Eliza Mahoney's motto was always, 
``Work more and better the coming year than the previous year.'' 
Mahoney also recognized the need of nurses for nurses to work together 
to improve the status of African Americans in the profession.
  In 1908, she was the cofounder of the National Association of Colored 
Graduate Nurses. Mahoney gave the welcoming address at the first 
convention of NACGN and served as the association's national chaplain. 
She became an inspiration to all nurses and helped make it possible for 
the members of the NACGN to be received at the White House by President 
Warren G. Harding.
  Ms. Mahoney died in 1926. Because of her dedication and untiring will 
to inspire future generations, she has been an inspiration to thousands 
who are a part of the nursing profession.
  Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the author of this resolution, 
Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas, for her leadership in honoring this 
great American. I encourage all of my colleagues to vote in favor of 
the resolution.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, it is not every day that we get to pay tribute to a 
truly special person that served our country like Mary Eliza Mahoney, 
America's first professionally trained African American nurse. I want 
to indicate my support for H. Con. Resolution 386 offered by 
Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson honoring Mary Eliza Mahoney's 
outstanding nursing career, her dedication to the U.S. nursing 
profession, and exemplary contribution to local and national 
professional nursing organizations.
  Ms. Mahoney was born in 1845 and grew up in an era where many 
similarly situated African Americans did not have the opportunity for 
an education. Ms. Mahoney, however, enrolled in nursing school. In 
1879, at the age of 34, she was one of only a handful of students in 
her class who graduated, and the only African American in her class.

                              {time}  1515

  Ms. Mahoney changed the face of nursing as the first African American 
woman. Afterwards, black students were accepted at school as long as 
they met the requirements. Not only did she pave the way for African 
Americans as nurses, she advocated for them. Moreover, she worked hard 
to counteract the nationwide shortage of nurses, which, of course, 
continues today.
  In 1896, Ms. Mahoney became one of the original members of a 
predominantly white nurses association, alumni of the United States and 
Canada, later known as the American Nurses Association, or ANA. In 
1908, she was cofounder of the National Association of Colored Graduate 
Nurses.
  In addition, Madam Speaker, she supported the voting rights amendment 
and was the first African American nurse to receive retirement benefits 
for her lifelong hard work and service to others.
  The contributions of people like Mary Eliza Mahoney should be 
remembered. She set an example more than a century ago that I hope many 
children today will follow: Work hard, follow your convictions and help 
others.
  The U.S. is expected to have a shortage of 2.8 million nurses by the 
year 2020, and Congress has to do a lot more to recognize the support, 
the work of America's nurses both through resolutions like these and 
through greater funding. Ms. Mahoney was a remarkable woman. We should 
not let what she fought for so long ago be for naught. That is why I 
think it is very important that we pass and support this resolution 
this afternoon.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of 
H. Con. Res. 386, honoring Mary Eliza Mahoney, America's first 
professionally trained African-American nurse.
  First, I would like to honor my mother, Ivalita Jackson, who served 
as a vocational nurse

[[Page H6674]]

while she raised her children. With her nurturing hand and wise mind, 
she instilled in me a strong work ethic, a value of education, and a 
compelling desire toward public service. Her lifetime of hard work, and 
her commitment to giving and healing remains an inspiration to me.
  Mary Eliza Mahoney was born on May 7th, 1845 in Dorchester, 
Massachusetts. Mary became interested in nursing as a teenager. Though 
she worked as a maid, washerwoman and cook at the New England Hospital 
for Women and Children in Roxbury, Massachusetts for fifteen years, her 
dream was to practice nursing.
  The first step to realizing her dream came when, at the age of 33, 
Ms. Mahoney was accepted into the nursing school at the New England 
Hospital for Women and Children. One of only four students of a class 
of forty two to complete the nursing program, Mahoney received her 
nursing diploma on August 1, 1879.
  As such, she became the first African-American graduate nurse. This 
indeed, was a magnificent accomplishment at a time in this country when 
the odds were heavily stacked against her as an African-American, and 
as a woman.
  After graduation, Ms. Mahoney became a private duty nurse. Her 
employers consistently praised her for her calm and quiet efficiency 
and for her professionalism.
  Despite the odds, she proved that African-Americans could 
successfully enter into the world of professional nursing. She 
continues to be a source of inspiration to all nurses.
  Mahoney was one of the first African-American members of the 
organization that later became the American Nurses Association 
(A.N.A.). When the A.N.A. failed to actively admit black nurses, 
Mahoney strongly supported the establishment of the National 
Association of Colored Graduate Nurses (N.A.C.G.N.).
  Mahoney recognized the inequalities in nursing education and called 
for a demonstration at the New England Hospital to have more African-
American students admitted.
  For more than a decade after, Mahoney helped recruit nurses to join 
the National Association of Colored Graduate Nurses. Today, nursing is 
the nation's largest health care profession, with more than 2.7 million 
registered nurses nationwide. In 2003, 9.9 percent of registered nurses 
were African American.
  Ms. Mahoney was strongly concerned with women's equality and was a 
staunch supporter of the movement to give women the right to vote. At 
the age of 76, Ms. Mahoney was among the first women in Boston to 
register to vote after passage of the Nineteenth Amendment.
  At a time in our country when there is a nurse-shortage crisis, it is 
important to acknowledge the service and dedication of an outstanding 
American nurse. More than one million new and replacement nurses will 
be needed by 2012. Ms. Mahoney is a prime example of a professional 
woman who values and advocates for education, civil rights, and giving 
something of yourself for your community and for your nation.
  I urge my colleagues to support this resolution honoring Mary Eliza 
Mahoney, America's first professionally trained African-American nurse.
  Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. DEAL of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my 
time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Deal) that the House suspend the rules and 
agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res. 386, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the concurrent resolution, as 
amended, was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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