  
|
 |
Adelphi University Honors Mildred Montag and the 60th Anniversary of its School of Nursing
Garden City, NY
April 30, 2003
On May 4, 2003, Adelphi University is gathering at The Garden City Hotel as part of its Reunion Weekend to celebrate the 60th anniversary of its Nursing School and to honor one of its dearest friends, Mildred Montag.
At the celebration, friends and family will share memories of Mildred through her many decades at Adelphi. Among the speakers will be Assemblywoman Maureen O'Connell, the only Registered Nurse in the Legislature, and the Honorable Claire Shulman, '46, LLD '90, former Queens Borough President and recipient of the 2003 Outstanding Service to Adelphi Award at the recent President's Gala, and Dr. Kathleen M. Dirschal '63, Vice President for Education of the St. John's Riverside Health Care System.
With over 6,300 Nursing alumni and a stellar reputation in the Long Island community and nationally, Adelphi is the perfect place to begin National Nursing Week May 6-12. For Dr. Montag individually, her legacy as a visionary in the field of nursing education serves as the foundation for the Adelphi University School of Nursing - its past, present and future.
On January 1, 1943, Miss Mildred Montag became the first director of the new program emanating from in a state-wide discussion about the need for nursing programs to provide war services, a discourse in which Adelphi President Paul Dawson Eddy was a leader immediately after the outbreak of the Second World War. Later that month, the first class of 27 students was admitted to the 30-month war emergency course leading to the certification of registered nurses. Students would spend their first nine months at Adelphi and the remaining 21 months in Long Island hospitals.
The subsequent passing of the Bolton Act, which established the U.S. Cadet Nurse Corps, led to a surge in enrollment to 100 students and an acute housing shortage. First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt even spoke at the dedication of two new residence halls at Adelphi for the growing enrollment. Within five years, more than 500 students graduated from Adelphi's Cadet Corps program, and Dr. Montag will be speaking of these times with returning members of the Corps available for interview at the luncheon.
In 1948, Miss Montag left Adelphi College to complete her doctoral studies at the Columbia University Teachers College. Her dissertation changed the course of nursing education in the United States as it proposed educating technical nurses within two years. In 1958, then Dr. Montag used funding from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to implement pilot programs based on her thesis at seven college sites. Besides alleviating a critical shortage in the nursing profession, the phenomenal success of the program could not be ignored - by 1994 there were 868 such programs at community and junior colleges.
Dr. Montag continues to lead a very active professional, social and personal life and has received an honorary degree. When former students are asked to reflect on their experience at Adelphi with Dr. Montag, her concern, humanity, concern for the individual nursing student, and outstanding humor are frequently cited as most significant. In recognition of her extraordinary accomplishment and dedication to Adelphi University, Mildred Montag will be the chief honoree at Reunion Weekend 2003 as Adelphi kicks off National Nursing Week with a celebration of its own pioneer.
About Adelphi University: Adelphi University, chartered in 1896, was the first institution of higher education for the liberal arts and sciences on Long Island. Through its schools and programs—The College of Arts and Sciences, the Derner Institute of Advanced Psychological Studies, the Honors College, ABLE Program, and the Schools of Business, Education, Nursing and Social Work—the co-educational university offers undergraduate and graduate degrees as well as professional and educational programs for adults. Adelphi University currently enrolls over 7,700 students from 44 states and 60 foreign countries. With its main campus in Garden City and centers in Manhattan, Hauppauge, and Poughkeepsie, the University maintains a commitment to liberal studies in tandem with rigorous professional preparation and active citizenship.
Media Contact
For additional information, please contact:
Lori Duggan Gold
Vice President for Communications
p - 516.877.3693
f - 516.877.3266
e - duggangold@adelphi.edu
|
|
|
|
