vircuh00013Russell, Dorsye E., papersA Guide to the Papers of Dorsye E. Russell 2001.Nov.16A Collection in Special Collections and Archives, Health Sciences Library, Virginia Commonwealth University, 2001/Nov/16 Jody RomeroVCU Health Sciences Library

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This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2026-02-03 07:01:41 -0500.Description is written in: English, Latin script.Describing Archives: A Content Standard VCU Health Sciences Library Dorsye E. Russell papers 2001.Nov.16 /repositories/3/resources/339 2.9 Linear Feet 1942 -1987 English Access Restrictions

Collection is open to research.

 Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

 Preferred Citation

Dorsye E. Russell Collection, Accession #2001/Nov/16, Special Collections and Archives, Health Sciences Library, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Va.

 Acquisition Information

Donated to the Tompkins-McCaw Library

 Biographical/Historical Information

Dorsye Russell was known as a pioneer in Virginia nursing. At a time when women were not expected to continue their education past a bachelor's degree, Russell earned her master's making her one of the most educated nurses in Virginia. Russell has the distinction of being the only woman to have been the president of three major nursing organizations within Virginia; The Virginia Nurses' Association, Virginia League for Nursing, and the Virginia Organization of Nurse Executives.

Russell was heavily involved with the Medical College of Virginia Foundation and the Nursing Division of the MCV Alumni Association. She was a teacher and administrator and her legacy is one of service to the institutions she served. She was an assistant professor in nursing at MCV as well as at Patrick Henry Community College where she established their nurse training curriculum. She was director of nursing at several Virginia hospitals including Mary Washington Hospital in Fredericksburg, Kings Daughter's Hospital in Staunton, and Lynchburg General Hospital in Lynchburg. She was appointed to the Governor's Committee on Nursing by Governor Mills Godwin in 1966. This Committee provided an accurate view of the challenges and needs of the nursing profession in Virginia at a time when it was most needed. From 1965 to 1975, Russell served on the State Board of Nursing.

Russell was also instrumental in establishing the Dorsye E. Russell Leadership Fund at MCV's School of Nursing in 1996. This endowment was envisioned to provide the needed funding for a course in professional organizational leadership and to make MCV a "flagship school" in Virginia. It is also intended to provide the skills needed for leadership within nursing associations.

Russell received many awards during her professional career, but the two most important were the Nancy Vance Award, the highest award given by the Virginia Nurses' Association in 1982, and just after her death, she was honored as one of the 50 pioneering nurses in Virginia. Though she never married and had no children, her legacy lives on in the organization she helped to build and the profession in which she worked. Russell is buried in Richmond's Hollywood cemetery. Her obituary can be found in the Fredericksburg Press Lance-Star.

Milestones: 03 Dec 1919: Born in Richmond, Virginia. 1938-1940: Attended College of William and Mary. 1943: Graduated, Medical College of Virginia. (BS, Nursing) 1945-1949: Faculty, Assistant Professor of Nursing, St. Philip School of Nursing, Medical College of Virginia. 1951: Graduated, Columbia University. (MA. Nursing Administration) 1956-1958: President of the Virginia League of Nursing. 1965-1970: Served as a Member of the Virginia State Board of Nursing. 1966-1970: President of the Virginia Nurses' Association. 1966-1969: Member of the Governor's Committee on Nursing (Virginia) 1970-1971: Asst. Professor of Nursing at Patrick Henry Comm. College. 1970-1975: Served as a Member of the Virginia State Board of Nursing. 1982: Awarded the Nancy Vance Award by the Virginia Nurses' Association. 1984: Awarded the Outstanding Nursing Alumni Award by the MCV Alumni Association. 05 Apr 2000: Died in Fredericksburg, Virginia. 03 May 2000: Honored as a Virginia Pioneering Nurse by the Virginia Nurses' Association. Scope and Content

This collection contains correspondence, meeting minutes, reports, essays and published materials dating from 1942 to 1987, with the bulk of material dated from 1968 - 1973. This material deals mainly with Russell's work with the Virginia Nursing Association in which she served as an officer and later President. Missing from the collection are things related to Russell's personal affairs.

 Arrangement

Records are arranged in chronological order.

 Nurses -- Virginia. Russell, Dorsye E. Virginia Commonwealth University. School of Nursing Virginia Nurses' Association Virginia Nurses' Association (VNA)/repositories/3/archival_objects/4627Papers collected during the tenure of Mrs. Russell as President and Mrs. Evans when they worked as officers for the VNA.1Bylaws and bylaw amendments./repositories/3/archival_objects/46351967 - 1975This folder includes the bylaws and amendments to the bylaws proposed to the Committee on Program.1Documentation of the Virginia Nurses' Association; Executive Committee of the Board of Directors./repositories/3/archival_objects/46361961-1971This folder contains minutes and correspondence regarding the Executive Committee.1Documentation of the Virginia Nurses' Association; Board of Directors./repositories/3/archival_objects/46371960-1964This folder contains minutes and correspondence regarding the Board of Directors.1Documentation of the Virginia Nurses' Association; Board of Directors./repositories/3/archival_objects/46381965-1971This folder contains minutes and correspondence regarding the Board of Directors.1Documentation of the Virginia Nurses' Association; Financial Reports./repositories/3/archival_objects/46391963-1974This folder contains the Financial Reports including Cash on Deposit, General and Special Fund Receipts and Disbursements.1Documentation of the Virginia Nurses' Association; Financial Committee./repositories/3/archival_objects/46401969-1974This folder contains minutes of the Financial Committee, reimbursement policies, meeting summaries, and other correspondence dealing with the activities of the Committee.1Documentation of the Virginia Nurses' Association; Financial Committee/repositories/3/archival_objects/46411969-1974This folder includes anticipated income and budgets for 1973, 1974 as well as a CPA financial examination dated Dec. 31, 1973. Also included is an assessment for property owned by the Association.1Documentation of the Virginia Nurses' Association; Agnes D. Randolph Fund/repositories/3/archival_objects/46421967-1971This folder includes a scholarship review of the fund designed to assist nurses in Tuberculosis sanitariums. It was discontinued as the number of cases dropped.1Documentation of the Virginia Nurses' Association; McLeod-Smith-Montgomery Fund./repositories/3/archival_objects/46431970-1973This folder includes a scholarship review of the fund designed to provide financial assistance to nursing students. Also included are the minutes of the committee and a copy of House bill H. R. 910 which provides for scholarships for nursing education.1Documentation of the Virginia Nurses' Association; Student Nurses' Association of Virginia/repositories/3/archival_objects/46441969-1970This folder includes correspondence, meeting minutes, certification information as well as drafts of Student Nursing Association bylaws.1Documentation of the Virginia Nurses' Association; Committee of Convention Program./repositories/3/archival_objects/46451970-1971This folder contains agendas, meeting notes, workshop plans and other correspondence regarding the 1970 Convention held at the Golden Triangle Motor Hotel, Norfolk, VA.1Documentation of the Virginia Nurses' Association; Advisory Council, Nurses' Professional Registries, VNA-VLN Coordinating Committee, Committee on Long and Short Term Goals, Committee on Professional Nursing Practice, Committee on Membership and Public Relations./repositories/3/archival_objects/46461971-1973This folder consists of documentation of several committees of the Virginia Nurses' Association.1Documentation of the Virginia Nurses' Association; Districts Presidents Correspondence./repositories/3/archival_objects/46471966-1971This folder contains minutes of quarterly meetings as well as letters to the District Presidents from the Executive Director or Executive Secretary.1Documentation of the Virginia Nurses' Association; Committee on Legislation./repositories/3/archival_objects/46481969-1970This folder contains minutes of the committee meetings as well as information concerning pending legislation wanted by the VNA.1Documentation of the Virginia Nurses' Association; Committee on Economic and General Welfare./repositories/3/archival_objects/46491969-1970This folder consists of minutes of the Committee of Economic and General Welfare.1Documentation of the Virginia Nurses' Association; General documents sorted by type/repositories/3/archival_objects/46501971-1973, 1987This folder contains reports, letters, charts, and several organizational goals.1Documentation of the Virginia Nurses' Association; Committee Members Lists/repositories/3/archival_objects/46511966, 19691Documentation of the Virginia Nurses' Association; Letters from other State Nursing Groups and Companies/repositories/3/archival_objects/46521970-19711Newsletters of the Virginia Nurses' Association/repositories/3/archival_objects/46531950, 1970-19711The Non's Psalm /repositories/3/archival_objects/46741950Article by Edward P. McCright1Up Ante /repositories/3/archival_objects/4675Article by the American Hospital Association1Nursing Today/repositories/3/archival_objects/4676Sep. 1969Editorial by Sadie Barton Snellings, in VNA News.1VNA News/repositories/3/archival_objects/4677May, 1970Vol. 1, No. 61VNA News/repositories/3/archival_objects/4678Feb. 1971Vol. 2, No. 31VNA News/repositories/3/archival_objects/4679Apr. 1971Special Edition1VNA Newsletter to District Presidents/repositories/3/archival_objects/4680Apr. 19711VNA Legislative Alert/repositories/3/archival_objects/4681Apr. 19711VNA News/repositories/3/archival_objects/4682Aug. 1971Vol. 3, No. 11Bedside Nurse /repositories/3/archival_objects/4683May 1971Washington News1Booklets of the Virginia Nurses' Association./repositories/3/archival_objects/46541965-1967, 1972This folder contains dinner programs and Annual Joint Meeting programs from the Virginia Nurses' Association and the Student Nurses' Association of Virginia.1Personal papers of Luna Thomas Evans./repositories/3/archival_objects/46282Personal papers of Luna Thomas Evans./repositories/3/archival_objects/4655This folder contains letters regarding business with and membership paperwork for Evans in the VNA.2Personal papers of Luna Thomas Evans./repositories/3/archival_objects/4656This folder contains letters and paperwork involving the Equal Rights Amendment.2Correspondence related to her duties as an officer in the Virginia Nurses' Association./repositories/3/archival_objects/4657This folder contains letters from Thelma L. Bishop, Barbara T. Walker, Kenneth L. Rinker, Richard Cowling, and Beverly T. Boyd.2Clippings from various newspapers. Arranged by Date./repositories/3/archival_objects/4629Clippings on nursing and finances.3Papers and articles involving Practical Nursing./repositories/3/archival_objects/46304Articles from The American Journal of Nursing ./repositories/3/archival_objects/46581942-1949This folder contains articles concerning practical nursing and training.4Articles and papers from several different publications./repositories/3/archival_objects/46591940-1950This folder includes articles and papers on practical nursing and training.4American Nursing Association's Practical Nursing education and training./repositories/3/archival_objects/46601946-1972This folder includes training guidelines; course outlines all dealing with defining a curriculum for practical nursing.4Practical nursing extras./repositories/3/archival_objects/46611949-1950This folder contains a poster depicting many newspapers clippings regarding practical nursing as well as a list of articles on the subject as well.4The American Nurses' Association (ANA)/repositories/3/archival_objects/4631These papers were collected over the years during which Mrs. Russell and Mrs. Evans served as board members of the American Nurse's Association.5Statements, Master Plans and Summaries./repositories/3/archival_objects/46621949-1950, 19725American Nurses' Association Information./repositories/3/archival_objects/46631961, 1968This folder contains paperwork and the information packet given to new members of the ANA5Leadership and Supervisory training guides and suggestions./repositories/3/archival_objects/46326Addresses and how-to guides for training, teaching leaders and supervisors how to be better managers of time and personnel./repositories/3/archival_objects/46641948-19556Leadership guides and training worksheets./repositories/3/archival_objects/46656Papers Presented at the Annual Nursing Lectureship, MCV School of Nursing./repositories/3/archival_objects/46331967-1969This folder contains a booklet with the first two papers given at this annual event as well as a copy of the third.7Issues in Nursing /repositories/3/archival_objects/4666Written by Jo Eleanor Elliot7A Historian's View on the Future of Nursing/repositories/3/archival_objects/4667Written by Dr. Helen Nahm.7Nursing Education- Nursing Service Where Do They Meet?/repositories/3/archival_objects/4668Written by Luther Christmas, PhD, RN.7Awards and Artifacts/repositories/3/archival_objects/4634Not included with the collection. Stored with other memorabilia.Paperweight: green marble with a clock./repositories/3/archival_objects/4669Memorabilia collectionInscription: "Sustained Distinguished Membership. Sadie Health Cabaniss Society. VCU/MCV School of Nursing."Paperweight: Acrylic./repositories/3/archival_objects/4670Memorabilia CollectionInscription: "Sadie Heath Cabaniss Society. VCU/MCV School of Nursing."Ceremonial Urn: Pewter./repositories/3/archival_objects/4671Memorabilia CollectionInscription: "Cabaniss Society, 1995" and "VCU/MCV"Metal bookmark: gold toned./repositories/3/archival_objects/4672Memorabilia CollectionInscription: "Celebrating 50 Years of Service. MCV Foundation 1949-1999".Miniature picture/repositories/3/archival_objects/4673Memorabilia CollectionInscription, "MCVAA Board of Trustees. April 22, 1994."