Edith DeVoe facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Edith DeVoe
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13th Annual Meeting of the National Council of Negro Women, in Washington, DC, on October 12, 1948
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| Birth name | Edith Mazie DeVoe |
| Born | October 24, 1921 Washington, D. C. |
| Died | November 17, 2000 (aged 79) Laurel, Prince George's County, Maryland |
| Buried |
Quantico National Cemetery
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| Allegiance |  United States of America |
| Service/ |
United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1940–1960 |
Edith DeVoe (born October 24, 1921 – died November 17, 2000) was an important American nurse. She made history in the United States Navy Nurse Corps. She was the second black woman to join the Navy Nurse Corps during World War II. She was also the first black nurse to become a permanent part of the regular Navy. Plus, she was the first black nurse to serve for the Navy outside the United States.
Early Life and Education
Edith Mazie DeVoe was born on October 24, 1921. Her hometown was Washington, D. C.. Her parents, Sadie Frances and Joseph Edward DeVoe, both worked for the government. Edith had three siblings: Elizabeth, Joseph, and Sadie. Sadly, her brother Joseph passed away in 1934. Both of her sisters later became nurses, just like Edith.
Edith went to Randall Junior High and Dunbar High Schools. After high school, she studied nursing. She attended the Freedman's Hospital nursing school. She graduated from there in 1942. To learn even more, she took extra courses. These courses were about public health nursing in Richmond, Virginia. She studied at the St. Philip School of Nursing.
Edith DeVoe started her nursing career at the Visiting Nurse Association. This organization helps people get medical care at home. On April 18, 1945, she joined the United States Navy Reserve. She was given the rank of ensign. This happened just one week after Phyllis Mae Daley, the first black Navy nurse, began her active duty.
Edith DeVoe started her active Navy service on June 13, 1945. She worked for two years during World War II. Her first assignment was at the Boston Navy Yard. In mid-1947, she moved to the Naval Mine Warfare Test Station. This station was located in Solomons, Maryland.
On January 6, 1948, DeVoe joined the regular Navy Nurse Corps. This was a big step. She became the first black nurse to be a permanent part of the regular Navy. She worked at the Navy Communication Annex Dispensary in Washington, D. C. At this time, Congress was discussing if women should be a permanent part of the military. Adam Clayton Powell Jr., a Representative from Harlem, spoke up. He said the Nurses’ Corps should be permanent. He also strongly believed the military should be fully desegregated. He pointed out that Edith DeVoe was the only black nurse serving many black servicemen in the Navy.
In 1949, DeVoe was promoted to Lieutenant (JG). She was then sent to the St. Albans Naval Hospital. This hospital was in the Queens area of Long Island. The next year, she made history again. She became the first black nurse to be assigned outside the U.S. mainland. She went to the Tripler Army-Navy Hospital. This hospital helped different parts of the military. Her job there was to help soldiers who were injured or evacuated during the Korean War.
On May 1, 1952, DeVoe became a full Lieutenant. In August, she moved to the naval hospital in Pasadena, California. In 1955, while working at the Oakland Naval Hospital, she was in a car accident. Because of this, she was temporarily placed on a disability list in 1956. However, she returned to duty. She officially retired from the military in 1960. After retiring, she moved back to Washington, D. C.
Later Life and Legacy
Edith DeVoe passed away on November 17, 2000. She died from lung cancer at a nursing center in Laurel, Prince George's County, Maryland. She was buried at Quantico National Cemetery in Triangle, Virginia. Edith DeVoe is remembered as a brave and important pioneer. She opened doors for many others in the United States Navy.
