Saint Marys Hospital opened in 1889 with 27 beds. By 1906, two additions considerably increased the hospital's bed capacity, and the sisters could no longer keep up with the growing practice of the Doctors Mayo. Sister Joseph Dempsey decided to open a training school for nurses to give the hospital a constant supply of nurses.

Saint Marys Hospital Training School for Nurses opened as a two-year program with two students on Nov. 19, 1906, under the leadership of Anna Jamme. The school's motto was "Enter in to learn — go forth to serve."

In 1914, the school's program was lengthened to three years with Mary Ledwidge as superintendent of nurses. This made the school eligible for accreditation by the state of Minnesota. The initial approval was given on April 7, 1916.

Students

For obstetrics, pediatrics and contagious diseases, students affiliated at either the Illinois Training School for Nurses, Cook County Hospital in Chicago, or the City and County Training School in St. Paul, Minnesota. This practice continued until 1922, when a new surgical wing was added to the hospital and made adequate space for the affiliated areas.

Many graduates of the school, including the sisters, attended Columbia University in New York for advanced studies. This prompted the school to obtain accreditation from the Board of Regents of the state of New York. The school was formally registered on Dec. 29, 1921. Formal accreditation made it possible for graduates pursuing higher education to work while attending Columbia.

Curriculum

Under the direction of Sister Domitilla and faculty members with impressive credentials, the school curriculum maintained the highest standards. The first review by the National League for Nursing was in 1932 as accreditation standards were established. The school continued to respond to changes in nursing education and received favorable reviews from the National League for Nursing until the school's closing.

In 1963, the curriculum for the Saint Marys diploma program was planned from an educational point of view, and students were expected to pay for their nursing education. By 1967, all classes in the sciences were offered at Rochester State Junior College.

In that same year, the directors of Saint Marys School of Nursing and Methodist-Kahler School of Nursing, as well as Rochester State Junior College, announced that the diploma programs would cease to exist and that an associate degree program in nursing would be established at the college.

Closing

Saint Marys School of Nursing graduated its last class in June 1970. Throughout its existence, the school educated 3,865 graduates.

Alumni association

The Saint Marys School of Nursing Alumni Association was formed by Anna Jamme on July 13, 1910, following the first official commencement exercise. The association was incorporated in 1918 under the laws of Minnesota and contains articles of incorporation (last amended in 1971 after the school's closing) and bylaws (last amended in 1996).

The group's alumni have worked throughout the world. The nurse behind the school's cap and pin is recognized as one of the best. Saint Marys alumni have served the United States in the military, beginning with World War I through Desert Storm.

During World War II, the school's service flag represented 249 graduates as part of the military. Alumni were proud to be part of the Cadet Nurse Corps, and the school admitted the most Japanese-American students to the Cadet Nurse Corps program than any other school in the United States.

Sister Joseph Endowment Fund

The Sister Joseph Endowment Fund was established by Sister Joseph in 1906 as a means to provide financial assistance to nursing students pursing accredited academic nursing education.

In 1930, the Sister Joseph Scholarship Fund for Saint Marys School of Nursing was established as a trust fund. In 1937, the name was changed to the Sister Joseph Endowment Fund for Saint Marys School of Nursing.

After the nursing school closed in 1970, the Saint Marys Hospital Board of Trustees established a Tuition Fund for Nursing Education. Income from the Sister Joseph Endowment Fund was allocated for this purpose. This funding is now called the Mayo Clinic-Saint Marys School of Nursing Endowed Fund.  The remaining funds, exceeding $37,000, from the Saint Marys School of Nursing Alumni Association were donated to this fund.

Board officers

The last board officers and contacts for the Saint Marys School of Nursing Alumni Association:

President
Anne Hermanson Smith '70

Treasurer
Marilyn Ricard Sheehan '68

Secretary
Barbara Leland Rasmussen '68

Newsletter Editor
Wanda Olson Samuelson '68

Archivist
Virginia Simons Wentzel '59