Biographical / Historical

Mary Louise Habel (1906-2000) was a 1930 graduate of the Stuart Circle Hospital School of Nursing in Richmond, Virginia, and in 1936 she earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing Education from the University of Virginia. Later in her career, in 1954, she obtained a Master of Education from the College of William and Mary.

Among the numerous positions she held over forty-one years in the profession, the majority of her hospital appointments included directorships of nursing education, in addition to her executive responsibilities as chief of nursing staff. She served a five-year appointment as a member of the Virginia State Board of Nursing Examiners in the 1940s, and as well ascended to the presidency of the State Board of Nursing. She also held a number of offices in the Virginia League of Nursing. Habel became a registered social worker in 1963, and served in this capacity and as coordinator of nursing for the Red Cross in Lynchburg, Virginia. She retired in 1972.

Scope and Contents

The Habel Papers trace the career of this vocal advocate for nursing education and public health. An early promoter of collegiate-level training for nurses, Ms. Habel also stressed the value of nursing care beyond the walls of the hospital, along with a holistic approach to the patient and public health. Much of the correspondence in the collection dates from her retirement years, when she took the initiative to address public figures with critiques and advice about the resolution of social problems. Habel's strong religious faith provided a powerful motivation to her life's work, and inspired a philosophy of service to others that underscored all of her activities and relationships. Her friendship with Dr. Silvia Rinker, one of the founders of the Bjoring Center, and a fellow church member, led to the collection and preservation of her papers.

Arrangement

The Habel Papers have been sorted into alphabetical subject headings. Items within each subject category are ordered chronologically. Photographs and artifacts take the final two folders.