Opaline Deveraux Wadkins facts for kids

Opaline Deveraux Wadkins (1912–2000) was a very important nurse. She helped create the first school to train Black nurses in Oklahoma City. She also worked hard to end segregation at the University of Oklahoma College of Nursing. Segregation meant that Black and white students were kept separate.

Opaline Wadkins also started the School of Nursing at Langston University. She was the first African American nurse to earn a master's degree from the University of Oklahoma. Many groups honored her for her amazing work. She was even put into the Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame in 1993.

Early Life and Nursing Career

Opaline Deveraux was born on March 26, 1912. Her hometown was Carthage, Texas. Her parents were Henry and Effie Deveraux.

After becoming a registered nurse, Opaline started working in 1938. She was hired by the Department of Public Health. Her job was to find and recruit Black nurses.

In 1940, she married Bert V. Wadkins in Oklahoma City. He was from Fayetteville, Tennessee.

Fighting for Equal Healthcare

Opaline Wadkins and the Oklahoma Negro Medical Society worked together. They pushed for changes at University Hospital. They wanted the hospital to accept African American patients.

In 1945, their efforts paid off. The University Hospital South Ward was created. This was the first hospital ward in Oklahoma City to treat Black patients.

The leaders of the University of Oklahoma also agreed to start a nursing school. This school would train African American nurses.

Training New Nurses

By 1949, Opaline Wadkins was a nursing supervisor. She was also the main organizer of this new school. It was the first school in Oklahoma City for African American nurses.

Between 1949 and 1953, she trained over 200 LPNs. LPNs are nurses who provide basic nursing care. During these years, she also helped with the annual Youth Negro Aquatic School. This school was held at Lake Murray.

Breaking Barriers and Helping Communities

Opaline Wadkins made history at the University of Oklahoma. She was the first African American person to earn a master's degree in nursing there. Her achievement helped end segregation at the University of Oklahoma College of Nursing.

She also saw that Native American people needed better health services. She created a special health program for them. This program included well-baby care for infants in Southwestern Oklahoma. It was the first service like this for Native American babies. It helped lower the number of babies who died by 50%.

Community Health Programs

Opaline Wadkins also started health clinics for Black patients. These clinics focused on general health and diabetes. They were set up in African American churches in Oklahoma City.

In the 1970s, she created a prenatal clinic. This clinic helped pregnant women. She called it the "Stork's Nest." Around the same time, she also established the Langston University School of Nursing.

Later Life and Legacy

Opaline Wadkins retired in November 1976. David Boren, who was the governor of Oklahoma at the time, honored her. He declared November 14 as Opaline Wadkins Day.

She also received an award from the VA Hospital Nursing Service. In 1987, the Oklahoma Public Health Association honored her. In 1993, she was inducted into the Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame.

In 2000, the OU Black Alumni Society gave her their Trail Blazer award. This award recognized her as a pioneer. Opaline Wadkins passed away on April 11, 2000, in Oklahoma City.