Victoria Joyce Ely facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Victoria Joyce Ely
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| Born | September 12, 1889 |
| Died | May 12, 1979 (aged 89) |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Nurse, midwife |
| Known for | First licensed midwife in Florida |
Victoria Joyce Ely (born September 12, 1889 – died May 12, 1979) was an American nurse who made a big difference in public health. She served as a nurse during World War I and later worked with the American Red Cross. Victoria Ely is famous for helping to lower the number of babies and mothers who died during childbirth in Florida. She taught many people how to provide better care.
After working for the state for 15 years, she opened her own health clinic in Ruskin, Florida. This clinic offered basic nursing care and help for mothers having babies. In 1954, the clinic was named the Joyce Ely Health Center to honor her. She was also recognized for her important work by being added to the Florida Public Health Association's Hall of Memory in 1983 and the Florida Women's Hall of Fame in 2002.
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Early Life and Education
Victoria Joyce Ely was born in Flora, Illinois, on September 12, 1889. She was the oldest child of Cora Lydia and Harry S. Ely. After finishing high school in Carrollton, Illinois, she worked as a stenographer and bookkeeper.
In 1911, Victoria started studying nursing in St. Louis, Missouri, at St. Luke’s Hospital School for Nurses. She worked hard and earned her nursing diploma in 1915.
Victoria Ely's Nursing Career
After graduating, Victoria Ely started working at St. Luke's Hospital. She was a supervisor and helped teach other nurses.
Serving in World War I
In 1917, Victoria joined the U.S. Army Nurse Corps. In May 1917, she was sent to France to help during World War I. She worked at the Washington University Base Hospital Unit 21 in Rouen, France. She stayed there for the entire war and returned to the U.S. in June 1919.
When she came back, she went to the Teachers College, Columbia University in New York. She took a special course to learn how to teach nursing. After finishing her studies, she taught nursing in Chicago for a year. She also joined the American Red Cross, an organization that helps people in need.
Helping Communities in Florida
In 1923, the Red Cross sent Victoria Ely to the Florida Panhandle. She worked in Perry, Florida, at a lumber company. Many people in the town were sick with diseases like smallpox, malaria, typhoid fever, and hookworm. There was also a big problem with tuberculosis and a lack of clean bathrooms.
When Victoria arrived, Perry had only one doctor. She started giving vaccinations and teaching people about basic health care and hygiene. She worked with state health officers and community leaders to improve health in the town. The people of Perry were so thankful that they gave her a car, a house, and a maid. This helped her spread her health lessons to other nearby areas.
Victoria continued working for the Red Cross until 1930.
Improving Midwife Training
In 1931, Florida passed a law about midwives. Midwives are people, often women, who help mothers give birth. The state hired Victoria Ely to lead a new program to train midwives.
At that time, many mothers and babies were dying in Florida. For every 1,000 births, about 10 mothers died, and more than 61 babies died. Midwives helped with 30% of births in Florida, which was twice as much as in other parts of the country. Among African Americans in Florida, midwives helped with 50% of births. However, most of these midwives, often called "granny midwives," had no formal training.
In 1933, Victoria Ely received a special scholarship called a Rockefeller Foundation Fellowship. She used it to study at the Lobenstine School of Midwifery in New York. After her training, she became the first licensed midwife in Florida.
She started a training program and held many workshops for midwives. She made sure to offer these seminars to minority groups, as they often had less access to education and health services because of segregation policies. She also started testing midwives for diseases. Victoria Ely's hard work greatly improved health standards and made childbirth safer for mothers in Florida. She is given credit for the big drop in both mother and baby deaths during this time.
Opening the Joyce Ely Health Center
In 1944, Victoria Ely left the state health office. She took a job with the Hillsborough County Health Department in Ruskin, Florida. This area was mostly rural, and many people could not get health care.
Victoria opened a health clinic in Ruskin. It was the only health care place in the community, had no doctor, and didn't even have running water. Just like she did in Perry, Victoria gave immunizations, did health checks, and visited people in their homes. She also gave out health cards that showed workers were healthy enough for their jobs and helped with home births.
In 1953, a new building was built for the clinic in Ruskin. In 1954, it was named the Joyce Ely Health Center to honor her. The building was rebuilt in 1976 and still has her name today. Victoria Ely retired in 1957 and spent her time gardening.
Death and Honors
Victoria Ely passed away on May 12, 1979, in Ruskin, Florida. After her death, she continued to be honored for her important work. In 1983, she was added to the Florida Public Health Association's Hall of Memory. In 2002, she was inducted into the Florida Women's Hall of Fame.
