Sage Memorial Hospital School of Nursing facts for kids
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Sage Memorial School of Nursing
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Sage Memorial Hospital, around 1935
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 Location in Arizona
Location in the United States
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| Location | Jct. AZ 264 and 291, Navajo Reservation, Ganado, Arizona |
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| Area | 160 acres (65 ha) |
| Built | 1930 |
| Architect | Presbyterian Board of Home Missions |
| Architectural style | Mission Colonial Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 09000082 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | January 16, 2009 |
| Designated NHLD | January 16, 2009 |
The Sage Memorial Hospital School of Nursing in Ganado, Arizona, was a very special place. It became a U.S. National Historic Landmark on January 16, 2009. This means it is recognized as an important part of American history.
This school was the first nursing program in the United States specifically for Native American women. It gave them a chance to get a professional nursing education. The school also helped change how many people viewed the skills of Native American people.
Students came from over 50 different Native American tribes. Women from other groups, like Mexican, Spanish, Inuit, Japanese, Filipino, and Chinese backgrounds, also studied there. This shows that at the time, it was hard for non-white students to get a good nursing education in other places.
The education at Sage Memorial was so good that some white parents even wanted their daughters to attend. But Dr. Clarence G. Salsbury, the school's director, decided to keep it only for minority students. This was a unique choice, especially since many schools at that time kept students separate based on race.
Contents
A Special Place: Ganado Mission
How it Started: Hospital, School, and Church
Presbyterian missionaries first came to Ganado in 1901. A local trader, Don Lorenzo Hubbell, helped them get land. He also let them use a small house near his store. The first pastor, Charles Bierkemper, arrived. His wife started a school in their living room. Meanwhile, her husband built a church and a home for the pastor.
In 1910, Dr. James D. Kennedy joined the mission. He cared for people by walking or using a horse and buggy. So, the mission had three main goals: helping people with their health, educating children, and providing a church.
Growing the Mission and Starting the Nursing School
By the mid-1920s, the school had grown. It was now held inside part of the church building. The medical work was done in a small hospital with twelve beds. In 1927, Dr. Clarence G. Salsbury arrived. He oversaw the building of a new, much larger hospital. This hospital had 75 beds and opened in 1930. It was named Sage Memorial Hospital to honor the Russell Sage Foundation, which gave a lot of money for the project.
In 1930, the school had become a full elementary and high school. Its first three high school students graduated that year. In the same year, Dr. Salsbury started the nursing school. Only women from minority groups were accepted. In 1933, the first two nursing students finished their training. They passed their state exams and became registered nurses (RNs).
Serving During Wartime and Beyond
During World War II, many graduates from Sage Memorial School of Nursing bravely served in the military. Graduates from Ganado High School also served. Some students who had not finished school came back later to complete their studies. Even some famous Code Talkers were among the students who served.
After the war, it became easier for minority youth to attend colleges and universities. Sage Memorial started sending its students to other hospitals for special training. The Sage Memorial Hospital School of Nursing closed after its last class graduated in 1951. The staff helped the remaining students transfer to other good nursing schools. Nursing continued to be a popular career choice for many Native Americans.
Changes at Ganado Mission
Over time, public schools run by the state began to grow on the Navajo Reservation. These schools served both Anglo and Navajo students. Navajo parents could now send their children to school by bus while keeping them at home. Government-run day schools began to close. By the mid-1960s, Ganado Public School was a full elementary and high school. It became a competitor for the mission school. In 1970, Ganado Mission High School graduated its last class. After that, the College of Ganado was created.
Many important leaders of the Navajo Tribe came from church-sponsored schools. These included the Presbyterians at Ganado, the Methodists in Farmington, and the Catholics at St. Michaels. Even young people who attended the government-run BIA schools became important tribal members. They worked hard to help their people.
In 1969, Sage Memorial Hospital was given to Project Hope. This group had helped medical systems around the world. They hoped to prepare Sage Memorial Hospital to be run by local people within five years. By 1974, a local board, the Navajo Nation Health Foundation, took control of the hospital. However, Project Hope's plan did not fully succeed. In 1986, the hospital was taken over by a private company.
The College of Ganado also did not last long and closed in 1986. Many of the buildings on the campus are still there. Most are controlled by Sage Memorial, and three are used by the local Presbyterian Church. The Public School has grown very large and provides most of the jobs in the small community today.
The Alumni Association of Ganado Mission High School still exists. It meets every two years. Now, it includes nursing school graduates, retired staff, neighbors, and anyone who spent important years at Ganado. It is now called the Ganado Mission Association.
In 2009, Sage Memorial Hospital School of Nursing was named a National Historic Landmark. A stone monument on the campus honors the minority women who trained there. All their names are listed under their graduation year. The National Park Service helps to look after this important site.
