WOODRUFF, NELL HODGSON, 1892-1968.
Nell Hodgson Woodruff papers, 1913-1982 (bulk 1943-1968)

Restrictions on access

Special restrictions apply: Some material is restricted from use for privacy considerations.

Terms Governing Use and Reproduction

All requests subject to limitations noted in departmental policies on reproduction.

Related Materials in This Repository

Robert Winship Woodruff papers, Ada Fort papers, Hunnicutt family papers, and the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing records.

Source

Gift, 1969.

Custodial History

Separated from the Robert W. Woodruff papers, 1976.

Citation

[after identification of item(s)], Nell Hodgson Woodruff papers, Manuscript, Archives and Rare Book Library, Emory University.

Processing

Processed by Elizabeth Russey, April 14, 2005.

Biographical Note

Nell Kendall Hodgson Woodruff was born October 20, 1892 in Athens, Georgia, to Edward Hodgson and Mary Strahan. She graduated from a two-year nursing program at St. Mary's Hospital in Athens before marrying Robert Winship Woodruff on October 17, 1912. During World War I, Nell Woodruff served as an American Red Cross nurse aide volunteer, training other nurse aides. She volunteered again during World War II and was given permission to serve as a nurse's aid in any United States hospital. In 1946 Emory's Nursing School Alumni Association recognized her devotion to nursing education with its first honorary life membership. The Georgia State Nursing Association also bestowed a life membership on Woodruff in 1952 for her service to Georgia's nursing profession. A longtime leader in nursing and health fields, she served as an official United States delegate to the World Health Assemblies in 1954 and 1955. In 1967 Emory University renamed its school of nursing for Nell Woodruff. She died less than a year later on January 23, 1968, in Albany, Georgia.

Scope and Content Note

The collection consists of the personal papers of Nell Hodgson Woodruff from 1913 to 1982. The papers primarily pertain to Woodruff's nursing career and to her interest in nursing and include correspondence, photographs, certificates, notebooks, printed materials, a copy of a portrait, and memorabilia. Woodruff's correspondence is mostly personal and discusses travel, family news, and the Woodruff homes in Atlanta, Ichaway and a ranch in Cody, Wyoming. There is extensive correspondence between Nell Hodgson Woodruff and Robert W. Woodruff concerning their marriage and affection for each other. Other correspondents include Mary C. Astor, Charles Mayo, Carolyn Adkins, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and family members.

The papers contain a number of items related to Nell Hodgson Woodruff's interest in nursing. The collection includes photographs and material related to her activities with the Red Cross during World War I and World War II, including training manuals and teaching notes. The collection also contains a woolen hat from the Red Cross. The papers also document Woodruff's involvement with the World Health Assembly in 1954 and 1955. Photographs, correspondence and reports to the United States delegation, and other material document these two assemblies. Official minutes and documents from the assembly were not retained and are available at the World Health Organization in Washington, D.C. The papers also contain architectural plans, photographs from the groundbreaking ceremonies, and two resolutions passed by the Emory University Board of Trustees relating to the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing.

The bulk of the collection contains material collected after Nell Woodruff's death. Most of this material was culled from the Robert W. Woodruff papers and include condolence letters, obituaries, a scrapbook, photographs, and two audio recordings of her funeral. Documents concerning the settlement of Woodruff's estate have been restricted for privacy considerations. In addition, there is a draft of Devotedly Miss Nellie, a posthumous biography of Nell Woodruff commissioned by the Georgia Nursing Association.

Arrangement Note

Arranged by record type.