 Photo courtesy of the Alaska Nurses Association, 93-229-07, Archives, University of Alaska Fairbanks. |
"Doris Southall, the senior activist, retired nurse and historian first traveled to Fairbanks in 1953. She was instrumental to the funding and construction of two senior-housing complexes: Golden Towers and the Southall Manor Apartments, which bear her name. A highlight of her life came when she was 88, when she was given an honorary doctorate degree from the University of Alaska Fairbanks for her work with the Alaska's Nurse's Association historical project. Doris died at the Fairbanks Pioneer Home on December 4, 1996 at the age of 91" ~ Alaska Magazine 1996, v62 no.2 p87 Tape H84-11-01 Click on a section below to hear audio.
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Doris Southall talks to Bill Schneider on April 3, 1984 about ...
1) Personal and family background information and growing up.
Liberty, Pennsylvania/ house -- she was born in/ father -- coal miner/ mother -- teacher/ great grandfather/ dad -- superintendent of railroad painting stations and bridges/ Liberty -- moved back/ house -- doubled planked|
2) Grandfather's house and how she got interested in nursing.
Loan -- money/ mom and dad -- moved in/ New York/ tonsils -- taken out/ nurse/ practicing -- on dolls/ teacher -- mom wanted her to be one/ high school/ nurse -- training/ shortage -- nurses/ Veteran Hospital/ Philadelphia -- accepted to nursing school/ requirements|
3) Getting organized and attending nursing school.
Hospital/ working -- restaurant/ training/ nursing school -- entering/ wage -- increases/ senior class/ state board/ Bosberg State Hospital -- trained|
4) Beginning her nursing career.
Time schedule/ wages/ patients/ cots -- nurses slept/ duty -- 12 hours/ regular duty/ American Nurse Association/ hospital -- set up/ duties -- general/ duties -- private/ industrial nurse/ Lotus Mt. Coal Company|
5) Marriage and coming to Alaska.
Southall, John/ son/ husband -- killed/ staff nurse/ Alaska/ family/ Whitehorse/ Skagway/ bakery -- oldest brother opened it/ equipment -- bakery/ Fairbanks/ mom/ brother/ visits/ brother -- principal of Main High School/ Catholic schools|
6) Work history.
St. Joseph's Hospital/ duty -- general/ duty -- private/ school nurse -- North Star Borough School District/ cafeteria -- school, opening the first one/ Lathrop/ Operation Head Start/ camp -- 4-H boys and girls|
7) Operation Head Start and school nurses.
Bartlett, Jack/ teachers -- advised/ Fairbanks Health Center/ Hunter School/ children -- helping/ teaching -- substitute/ Fort Wainwright/ school nurses/ funding -- none/ Huber, Peggy|
8) Responsibilities and duties as a school nurse.
Testing -- hearing and vision/ health appraisals/ reports -- sent home/ problems -- contact parents/ emergencies/ story -- boy put tongue on pipe/ story -- boy with high temperature|
9) Responsibilities and duties as a school nurse continued.
Story -- boy with glasses/ misunderstanding -- doctor/ boy -- kidney problem|
10) Responding to an emergency.
Fire/ Bailey, Ralph/ Davis, Stan -- manage/ emergency area -- setting up/ Gorely, Jack -- assistant superintendent/ Dr. Ryan/ Main School -- opened up for emergency/ Red Cross/ Salvation Army/ nurses -- helped/ radio announcement -- need housing/ Salvation Army -- brought food/ Red Cross -- housing/ Boy Scouts -- directed people/ fire -- started in basement|
11) Responding to an emergency continued.
Girl -- jumped/ woman -- overcome by smoke.
12) Fairbanks flood.
Schools -- opened up/ Nenana/ nurses -- getting in touch with/ Hunter School/ trucks/ beds/ Red Cross/ Brooks, Irene -- Red Cross worker/ clothing/ Barnett School/ water -- coming in/ Denali School/ batteries/ foodland/ Cushman Street/ 14th Street|
13) Fairbanks flood continued.
Home -- had to leave/ Mrs. Bailey/ Lathrop/ water level -- rising/ Cushman and Airport/ radio/ Murphy, Jack/ Fort Wainwright/ St. Joseph's patients/ nurse's home/ Shouldis, Dolores|
14) Fairbanks flood continued.
Nurse's home -- water entering/ waking up/ Colonel Smith/ helicopter/ hospital/ Lathrop -- ride to|
15) Fairbanks flood continued.
Dolores/ Denali School/ Lathrop School/ Brooks, Irene/ Doctor Weaver/ medical supplies/ Commissioner of Health and Social Services/ Public Health nurses/ donations -- clothing/ children -- sent to Anchorage/ Church -- took families in|
16) Nursing in the early days in Pennsylvania.
Nursing -- helping out/ treatment center/ nursing -- hourly/ penicillin/ doctor -- brought all supplies/ neighbor/ sugar condition/ amputation -- toe|
17) Nursing the early days in Pennsylvania continued.
Foot -- problems/ World's Fair/ villages/ Anchorage/ patients/ patients -- escorting/ Natives/ girl -- healed from burns|
18) Escorting patients and working with burn victims.
Bartlett, Jack/ Main Junior High/ Eskimo village/ hospital -- Anchorage/ Lotus Mt. -- Pennsylvania hospital|
19) Working with burn victims and her latest project.
Young girl -- burnt badly/ Alaska Nurse Association Project/ Rasmuson Library/ University of Alaska Fairbanks/ Dr. Beistline/ Alaska nurses -- information/ Mrs. Leech/ Circle Hot Springs/ booklet -- Nursing in the North, 1867-1967/ local bicentennial board/ state bicentennial board/ funding|
20) Latest project: Alaska Nurse Association Project.
Questionnaire/ grant/ funds -- matching/ Alaska Historical Commission/ Scott, Elvis/ Williams, Francis/ contacts/ material -- health, travel, living, and working conditions/ nurses -- submitted stories|