Dr. Elizabeth M. Bear collection

Elizabeth M. Bear's expansive career includes work as a labor/delivery nurse (University of California Hospital); a nursing professor, specializing in maternity and pediatrics (University of Florida, Gainesville); public health nurse with education in nurse-midwifery. The University of Kentucky enlisted Bear to initiate a graduate program in Nurse-Midwifery in conjunction with the United States Army Nurse Corps at Fort Knox. After facilitating a successful program, Bear returned to school at the University of Texas, Austin to obtain a PhD in Educational Administration. Bear (then president of ACNM) was with Callen when MUSC conferred an Honorary Doctorate on Callen (1989). Dr. Bear's research on Maude led to research on the Tuskegee School of Nurse-Midwifery where the first program for certified Black nurse-midwives was developed.

In the early 20th century, scientists and doctors began to assert dominance and claim superiority over midwives. Despite this contention, midwives in the Lowcountry remained a popular choice for expecting mothers due to limited finances and an inclination towards traditional methods. Midwives often provided women extensive background knowledge and a warm, maternal energy through laborious birthing processes. Many of the Lowcountry midwives were African-American, therefore the practice was especially significant to the African-American community.

The Penn Center exists as a major historical landmark. Built in 1862 by two Northerners, its facilities were meant to educate African Americans in the Lowcountry. This included midwifery education. The Penn Center soon became a notable center on developing midwives in the South Carolina Lowcountry.

Along with the Penn Center, the Tuskegee School of Nurse-Midwifery existed as an opportunity for many women (particularly African-American women) to pursue a career in nurse-midwifery. The Tuskegee School of Nurse-Midwifery opened up in 1941 in Tuskegee, Alabama with the purpose of reducing infant mortality rates (particularly in the black community). This need arose from the poverty striking the black community at the time, as well as the segregation they faced in hospitals (as well as many other public institutions). A 1943 graduate was Maude Callen, who grew to become a highly recognized woman in the field of nurse-midwifery. Her accomplishments include an appearance in Life magazine, the American Institute of Public Service Award, and providing service to a 400-square-mile-radius-area.

Sources

Canty, Lucinda. TUSKEGEE SCHOOL OF NURSE-MIDWIDERY. Blue Sky Broadcast. Tuskegee School of Nurse-Midwifery. Web. 29 July 2014.

History., ...following The Road To. Penn Center... a Link to the Past, a Bridge to the Future. (2006). Flow Of History. Penn Center. Web. 29 July 2014.