Notable individuals from nursing history.
- Georgia King Battle (1895-1980): Georgia King Battle was born in Kinston around 1900, the daughter of Harriet and Frank King. After completing all the education that was available to her as an African American in the Kinston City Schools in the early 1900s, she completed high school at the Mary Potter Academy in Oxford NC. Battle graduated from Lincoln Hospital Nursing School in New York City, and returned to Kinston where she became the county’s first public health nurse in 1922. Battle briefly moved to Washington, DC, and worked at the Freedman’s Hospital, but soon returned to Lenoir County. She resumed her job as a public health nurse and stayed almost 40 years until her retirement. She received both a Service Award and a Certification of Merit from the NC Division of Health Services. On May 29th, 1977, the Lenior Memorial Hospital Nursing Alumni Association honored her as a “Pioneer Nurse” at a tea. The City of Kinston named a Community Center in her honor.
- Carolyn Evangeline Henderson ( ): Henderson was the Associate Director of Education Services at Durham Regional Hospital and Duke University Medical Health System. She was also Chair of the North Carolina Nurses Association Commission on Nursing Education. I grew up in eastern North Carolina. An autobiographical sketch of Henderson from Evelyn Wicker's "Voices" can be found in the Resources section below.
