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Margaret Catherine Moore Papers

 Collection
Identifier: MSS 0088

Scope and Contents

The Margaret Catherine Moore Papers date from 1913 to 1982 and contain biographical material, diplomas and degrees, a high school annual, photographs, Moore's thesis from New York University, and World War II materials.

Dates

  • 1913 - 1982

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Copyright is retained by the creators of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.

Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information. Please see our Sensitive Materials Statement.

Biographical or Historical Information

Margaret Moore (1913-1975) was born in Baltimore, Maryland, where she grew up with two older brothers and three male cousins and learned to take care of herself at an early age. Foreshadowing her time as an army nurse, young Margaret joined the "Red Star Training Class," a children's organization in the mold of the Red Cross.

Moore attended Forest Park High School, the only coed high school in Baltimore at that time. She participated in all varsity sports available to girls, lettered in field hockey and basketball, and served as president of the Girls' Athletic Association. Upon graduation, Moore decided to attend the Woman's College of the University of North Carolina (now UNCG). There, Moore served on the Judicial Board and the Honor Board, and played varsity hockey. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education in 1935.

After college, Moore taught high school science and physical education until 1938, when she enrolled in NYU's School of Education. She completed her master's degree in education in 1939. She then served as Recreational Director of the Gouvenour Neighborhood House in New York City from 1940 to 1941. During this time Moore's friend Elizabeth Kemble encouraged her to further her education in nursing. Moore enrolled in NYU's Bellevue School of Nursing and received her Certificate of Nursing in 1943.

Moore enlisted in the Army Nurse Corps in May 1944. As a Lieutenant, she supervised a ward in the Convalescent Section of the 121st General Hospital in England, and traveled through France, Germany and Italy before returning to the U.S. at war's end.

After she separated from service, Moore was appointed to the Baker VA Center in Virginia. During her time there, Moore purchased a 97 acre farm with Ruth Kelly, the hospital's physical therapist. Together they grew barley, small grains, and grass for hay, and stocked cattle, sheep, pigs and rabbits. However, Moore grew disillusioned with the inefficiency and red tape associated with government work, and resigned.

In 1949, Moore took a position as Instructor of Medical-Surgical Nursing at the Winchester Hospital before moving on to become the Administrator and Director of Nurses at the Warren Memorial Hospital in 1951. There, she supervised the building of a new wing and the expansion of services. She also began the process of integrating hospital staff, but ran into strong opposition from the board, which caused her to resign.

Moore then enrolled in the master's degree program in hospital administration at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she found a new friend in associate dean Eloise Lewis. Moore graduated in 1960, and stayed in Chapel Hill to teach. When Lewis was sent to Greensboro to establish a new school of nursing, she took Moore along as her assistant.

Moore worked closely with architects on the design of a new building for the nursing school, and was active in the North Carolina Nurse's Association, as well as the local Presbyterian church. She died suddenly in 1975.

Extent

0.80 Linear Feet (2 boxes)

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

Margaret Catherine Moore (1913-1975) was a Woman's College alumna, nurse and nurse educator after whom the UNCG School of Nursing building is named. The Margaret Catherine Moore Papers date from 1913 to 1982 and contain biographical material, diplomas and degrees, a high school annual, photographs, Moore's thesis from New York University, and World War II materials.

Method of Acquisition

Transferred from the School of Nursing, 1987-1988.

Offensive Language Statement

The UNC Greensboro University Libraries collects, preserves, and makes accessible unique and historical materials for learning and research. The nature of historical materials is such that some material may represent positions, norms, and values that are offensive and objectionable. These materials represent the opinions and actions of their creators. By providing access to these records in our reading room and through our digital collections, we recognize that archives and rare books can play a vital role in holding those creators accountable and in helping us learn from the past.

Our finding aids and other collection descriptions may occasionally re-use language provided by creators or former holders of the materials, but we strive to place outdated or offensive terminology in context. That said, we recognize that we may not always make the right decision and welcome feedback from all sources so we can learn and adjust our practices. Please contact us at scua@uncg.edu if you encounter problematic language in our finding aids or other collection description. We will review the language and, as appropriate, update it in a way that balances preservation of the original context with our ongoing commitment to describing materials with respectful and inclusive language.

Processing Information

Processed by Archives staff.

Title
Margaret Catherine Moore Papers
Author
Archives staff
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
eng

Repository Details

Part of the Martha Blakeney Hodges Special Collections and University Archives Repository

Contact:
P.O. Box 26170
320 College Ave.
Greensboro NC 27402-6170 US
336-334-5246