Mary Lee Mills facts for kids

Mary Lee Mills (born August 1912 – died February 2, 2010) was an amazing American nurse. She was born into a big family with eleven children. Mary Lee went to the Lincoln Hospital School of Nursing and became a registered nurse.

After working as a midwife, she joined the United States Public Health Service (USPHS) in 1946. She became the main nursing officer for Liberia. There, she helped start some of the first public health education programs. Later, Mills worked in Lebanon and created the country's very first nursing school. She also helped fight diseases that could be treated. She then worked in South Vietnam, Cambodia, and Chad to teach about health.

Mills retired from the USPHS in 1966. She then worked for the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. She was a nursing consultant for programs helping migrant workers. She fully retired in 1976 but stayed active in her community. Mary Lee Mills received many awards, including the National Order of the Cedar. She was also added to the American Nurses Association Hall of Fame in 2012.

Mary Lee Mills' Life Story

Growing Up and Education

Mary Lee Mills was born in Wallace, North Carolina in August 1912. She was one of eleven children. Her grandparents had been slaves. Mary Lee grew up in nearby Watha.

In the early 1900s, bad weather made many African-American families move north. But Mary Lee's family stayed in North Carolina. Her father worked on a farm. She first wanted to study law. However, she changed her mind after reading a letter. It suggested that nursing would give her a good income. This income would help her do what she wanted in life.

Mary Lee went to segregated one-room schools. Her teacher found out she learned quickly. So, Mary Lee helped teach other students. At 18, she moved to Durham. She attended the Lincoln Hospital School of Nursing. She finished her nursing degree in 1934 and became a registered nurse.

She kept learning, earning a public health nurse certificate. This was from the Medical College of Virginia. She also got a midwifery certificate. Later, she earned master's and bachelor's degrees from New York University. She also got a graduate certificate in health care administration from George Washington University.

Her Nursing Career

Mary Lee Mills worked as a midwife for several years. She helped deliver babies across the United States. One time, she had to drive a woman expecting triplets to a hospital. It was an hour away in Durham. Other hospitals in Person County had turned them away.

In 1946, Mills moved back to North Carolina. She became the director of a public health nursing program. This was at North Carolina College (now North Carolina Central University). The United States Public Health Service asked her to work in Liberia. She had said no twice before, but this time she accepted.

She started working for the Public Health Service in February 1946. From 1946 to 1951, she was the chief nursing officer in Liberia. During this time, she did many important things. She set up the Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial Children’s Ward. This was in the country's main government hospital. She also started immunization stations and health centers. Mills also created the Tubman National School of Nursing. She helped start a national medical library. She also led some of Liberia's first public health education campaigns.

After her time in Liberia, she returned to the U.S. for a break and to study. Mills was promoted from major to captain. Her next international job was in Lebanon in January 1952. She represented the United States at nursing conferences. These were for the International Council of Nurses and the World Health Organization.

For her first three months in Lebanon, Mills lived with an Arab family. She learned basic Arabic phrases. In Beirut, the capital, she helped start the country's first nursing school. She also worked at a clinic in Chtoura. There, she taught nursing. She helped fight diseases that affected people in rural areas. She also worked at Makassed Hospital Nursing School. Mills even became the guardian of an 18-month-old child. She had nursed him back to health after an illness. She later adopted a second child.

She received a scholarship to improve her Arabic skills. She took classes in Washington, D.C. Later, she was sent to South Vietnam, Cambodia, and Chad. She taught about health and provided nursing care. She also worked on campaigns to get rid of smallpox and malaria. She taught about sanitation, hygiene, nutrition, and health. She also founded clinics for mothers and children.

Later Years and Legacy

Mary Lee Mills retired from the Public Health Service in 1966. She then worked for the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. She became a nursing consultant for their migrant health program. She gave advice on health care for migrant workers. She also advised on other public health issues. She reported directly to the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare. This person was a cabinet member who advised the President.

Mills traveled to Finland, Germany, and Denmark. She studied their national health care systems. She brought back ideas that could be used in the United States. She also represented the U.S. at international conferences. These were about nursing, midwifery, and public health. She attended them in Europe, Canada, and Australia.

Mills fully retired in 1976. She moved to Wallace, North Carolina, to care for her elderly mother. In retirement, she wrote for local newspapers. She also bought a Washington theater group. This group raised money for the Shiloh-Columbia Volunteer Fire Department. In 1983, during Black History Month, she helped honor black residents over 90 years old.

Mary Elizabeth Carnegie wrote about Mills in her 1995 book, The Path We Tread: Blacks in Nursing Worldwide. Mary Lee Mills passed away on February 2, 2010. She was 98 years old. She died at Pender Memorial Hospital in Burgaw.

Awards and Recognition

Mary Lee Mills received many national and international awards.

• The government of Liberia made her a Knight Official of the Liberian Humane Order of the Redemption.
• Lebanon gave her the National Order of the Cedar.
• She received the Public Health Service's Distinguished Service Award.
• In 1987, she was given the Order of the Long Leaf Pine.
• A nursing dormitory in Lebanon was named in her honor.
• In 1971, she was one of six winners of the Rockefeller Public Service Awards.
• Her picture is on display at the Smithsonian Institution.
• In 2012, Mary Lee Mills was inducted into the American Nurses Association Hall of Fame.