Mary Lewis Wyche

Mary Lewis Wyche (1858 Ð'- 1936), considered the "pioneer of organized nursing" (UNC-TV), was a remarkable woman who accomplished many great things throughout her nursing career. She graduated from Henderson College in Vance County, North Carolina and then moved to Chapel Hill. She had a strong belief in education, and it was there that she gave her several brothers a place to reside while attending college. She also gave small loans to needy students, and kept boarders (UNC-TV). Her contributions will be discussed here.

Mary Wyche realized the need for higher standards of nursing in North Carolina, and after attending a meeting of the International Council of Nurses, in New York, she returned to NC with the plan to start a state nursing association (UNC-TV). In an attempt to organize the Raleigh Nurses Association, in 1901, she sent out postcards to Raleigh nurses requesting them to attend a meeting she had planned, but when it was time for the meeting, nobody showed up (UNC-TV). She proceeded by sending out a second letter, two weeks later, about the need for another meeting since the last one went so well. This time, everyone showed up and the Raleigh Nurses Association was formed. This group set out to create the North Carolina State Nurses Association, and was successful. It was formed on October 28, 1902 (UNC-TV).

In an attempt to improve nursing standards in North Carolina, and through the association Mary Wyche helped create (the NC State Nurses Association), she had a law enacted that required registration of nurses Ð'- making North Carolina, in 1903, the first state to legalize the registration of nurses.

Mary Lewis Wyche is an asset to the development of nursing. Her contributions have been tremendous to the field. She did all her work at a later age than most in her time Ð'- she was 36 years old when she graduated from the diploma program at Philadelphia General Hospital (ANA). She came from a large family, consisting of six sisters and many brothers (UNC-TV); she helped all her brothers through school before initiating her own career goals. This was a self-less act on her part that, ideally, would be modeled by all nurses. Despite the cultural restraints of her era Mary Wyche was forced to overcome, she followed through with her visions and dreams. She lived in a time when women couldn't vote, but was none-the-less, able to create support for her idea of regulating nursing practice, in NC Legislature