Adah Thoms, First Recipient of the Mary Mahoney Award
In her twenties, Thoms studied elocution and speech at Cooper Union. She pursued her nursing education at the Women's Infirmary and School of Therapeutic Massage, the only African-American woman among thirty students, and the Lincoln Hospital and Home School of Nursing. She served as assistant superintendent of nurses for the Lincoln Hospital and Home School of Nursing for eighteen years.
During her tenure there, she added a course on public health to the curriculum at Lincoln Hospital and Home School of Nursing, recognizing the area of public health as being a new field of nursing.
Thoms worked with Mary Mahoney and Martha Franklin to organize the National Association of Colored Graduate Nurses (NACGN) and served as its first treasurer. She later served as president of the organization for seven years. The main objective of the NACGN was the integration of black nurses into the overall nursing profession and the improvement of race relations within the nursing profession.
Thoms was dedicated to securing equal opportunities for black nurses. She worked with Jane Arminda Delano, Chairman of the American Red Cross Nursing Service, to convince the Surgeon General to enroll black nurses in the Army Nurse Corps. Though African-American nurses enrolled in July 1918, it wasn't until after the war was over that 18 black nurses were appointed to the Army Nurse Corps.
One of her efforts to enroll black nurses in the war effort led Thoms to the White House. Upon meeting President Harding and First Lady Harding in the White House, Thoms presented them with a basket of roses and informed them that 2000 black nurses were ready to serve their country.
Thoms also wrote "Pathfinders: A History of the Progress of Colored Graduate Nurses," originally published around 1929 by Kay Print. House. It was reprinted by Garland in 1985.
Thoms remarried to Henry Smith in 1923. He passed away within a year of their marriage.
Thoms died in New York City on February 21, 1943.
Thoms was the first recipient of the Mary Mahoney Award when it was established by the NACGN in 1936. She was inducted into the American Nursing Hall of Fame in 1976.
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Published by Penny White
Writer since the age of ten and artist for the last few years. A big fan of NCIS, Dean Koontz and women's history. I write empowering and uplifting words for women found at www.penspen.info. I am also servan... View profile
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