St. Joseph’s Hospital School of Nursing History
For 67 years, St. Joseph's Hospital School of Nursing was a beacon of hope and healing, training young women from all walks of life to care for others with compassion and grace. From its founding in 1902, the school served as a cornerstone in nurturing a dedicated group of nurses who embodied the love and healing ministry of Christ.
Graduates went on to make a lasting impact, offering care across the globe, from local hospitals to international missions, serving in roles that extended God's love and healing touch to those most in need. We take great pride in this history, which reflects our unwavering commitment to ministering to the marginalized and speaking God's love into every corner of the world.
From 1902 until 1969, 741 nurses graduated from the school. Graduates of the school went on to careers in hospital administration, nursing service, nursing education, public health, school nursing, doctors’ offices, nursing homes, home care, industrial nursing and many branches of the armed services. Graduates served throughout the United States, as well as the Philippines, Puerto Rico, West Africa, England, Italy and Ireland.
ST. JOSEPH’S HOSPITAL SCHOOL OF NURSING FACTS
- Sister M. Dominica Immick opened the school in 1902 with Mary Kennedy from Indiana serving as the first superintendent of nurses.
- The first student nurse was Josephine Romeo.
- The school opened as St. Joseph’s Hospital Training School for Nurses. It was changed to St. Joseph’s Hospital School of Nursing in the mid-1930s.
- The first graduating class was in 1905 with four students receiving diplomas and pins. The ceremony was held in the hospital.
- As enrollment grew, graduations were moved to the hospital garden and then the Lawton Memorial.
- In the mid-1930s, nursing school graduations were moved to the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist and were held there until 1968.
- The first Savannah nurse to join the World War II Army Nurse Corps was Mary Margherita Powers, a graduate of the St. Joseph’s Hospital School of Nursing.
- The largest class to graduate from St. Joseph's Hospital School of Nursing was in 1947, consisting of 33 nurses, due to the school's participation in the US Cadet Nurse Corps developed during World War II.
- The school received National Accreditation in 1959 under the leadership of Sister Mary Redempta, Director of the School of Nursing, and Sister Mary Incarnata, Hospital Administrator.
- The last graduation ceremony, in 1969, was combined with the St. Joseph’s Infirmary Atlanta, and held at the Sacred Heart Church in Atlanta.
- Approval to close the St. Joseph’s Hospital School of Nursing came in 1966 following the hospital’s invitation by Armstrong State College to become a cooperating agency with them in their new two-year program in nursing.
As we reflect on our remarkable history, we honor the legacy of those who came before us and the profound difference they made in the lives of others. The graduates of St. Joseph's Hospital School of Nursing continue to inspire us, as they carried the mission of healing and compassion into every community they served. While the school closed its doors in 1969, the spirit of St. Joseph's lives on through the thousands of lives touched by its graduates. We are proud of their work and the lives they have impacted, and they remain steadfast in our commitment to continue serving others with God's healing love as our guiding light.