James Walker Memorial Hospital School of Nursing - Epitome Yearbook (Wilmington, NC)

Page 10 text:

eff lliilaulirciinnvnif 1950 gfzistoly of kganies fifiyalker c1noriQ.l gfogpjfal A year or two before the death of James Walker he conferred with his physician, Dr. W. J. Bellamy and with other friends in reference to his desire to establish a public park as a gift to the City of Wilmington, but he was induced to supply a still greater local need, that of a public hospital. The erection of this building employed his waning powers until it was nearly finished, and when the summons for his departure came, he entrusted its completion to his two friends, James Sprunt and William Gilchrist. James Walker, stonemason, contractor and builder, a native of Douglas, Lanarkshire, Scotland, donated and erected this building with the understanding that its management would never enter into politics, that no member of the Board of Managers could be appointed from either the City or County government and that the City and County would guarantee to appropriate at all times sufficient funds to provide adequately for the care of the indigent sick. Today the trend of the Board of Managers is to have a member from each religious denomination. The institution is intended for the treatment of acute disorders, not chronic and incurable diseases. Clt is necessary to draw the line between a hospital, on the one hand, and such in- stitutions as the county home, on the other.J Mr. Walker's intention was to care for persons receiving the benefits of the former and not the latter. Both pay patients and charity cases are admitted. Any regular physician residing in New Hanover County may treat a pay case in the hospital. The resident physicians and internes act as assistants in these cases. Charity cases are admitted upon permit from the County Superintendent of Health who may be sure that the patient is a resident of New Hanover County, in indigent circumstances, not afflict- ed with a chronic disease or one that is incurable or infectious. Treatment of all charity eases is in the hands of the resident physician, with the assistance of the internes and the hospital is under the control of the resident physician. From the date of its opening, June, 1901, to the present time the laudable benefaction has increased in importance until its benign influence, under its wise and beneficient directors, has extended with the increasing of the population of Wilmington to a degree not dreamed of by its original founder. That original building completely furnished for 50 patients still stands and is a part of the hospital. Dr. Thomas R. Little was the first Superintendent. Additions have been made to this building as the years have passed. Mr. W. H. Sprunt saw and realized the necessity of caring for the colored people in this City and County, and as a donation built a separate building for the care of these patients. This contained a ward with 35 beds and a dispensary on the first floor, and until 1921 the second floor was used for the nurses' quarters. While it was not the intention of the hospital to receive patients with infectious diseases, such cases have to be cared for in certain instances, so Mr. Sam Bear, Jr., donated a separate building for these patients as a memorial to his brother in 1915. The third addition to the hospital was made by a generous benefaction of Mr. and Mrs. James Sprunt in 1917, who built as a memorial to their only daughter, Marian, an annex devoted to the care of maternity patients and children. This annex bears the name of Marian Sprunt. A new wing was added to the hospital in 1937, which increased the capacity of the beds to 188. In 1943 the Federal Government aided James Walker Memorial Hospital in the construction of an additional building, of which the proposed cost was !i3508,000. The administrative offices were moved to this new building, 120 patients may be cared for, making James Walker Memorial Hospital a 300 bed hospital, exclusive of basinettes. In the basement of the building is a separate dispensary for the treatment of white and colored patients, a modern, well perform- ance of autopsies. In 1948 the second floor of the new building was converted into a maternity division, including a delivery suite, nursery, milk laboratory ward and private rooms. The first floor of Marian Sprunt, the former maternity division was made into a polio ward. It was this same year that the physical therapy department was added and in 1949 the cancer clinic was installed across the hall from physio in the basement of the new building. In memory of Dr. A. D. McClure, of St. Andrews Presbyterian Church, the city of Wilming- ton donated 3S100,000 to build a modern nurses' home to accommodate 50 nurses in 1921. It was necessary for the home to be enlarged in 1926, 1937, and 1943. Each nurse living in the home has the privilege of a private room equipped with a closet, lavatory and necessary furni- ture. The nurses' home now accommodates 166, including staff nurses, general duty nurses, and the student nurses. A two-story, fire-proof, brick service building was completed in June, 1946. This building was built with the assistance of the Federal Government. A modern, electrically equipped kitchen, and a cafeteria type dining room for nurses and staff, occupy the second floor. The dining room for colored help and the dietary storeroom is located in the rear of the building of the first floor, behind a women's ward. A charter was granted the James Walker Memorial Hospital on February 5, 1903 to organize and maintain a school for nurses. The first Superintendent was Miss Lilly Heller fMrs. Thomas R. Littlel of Greensboro, N. C., and the first graduating class was composed of Miss Florence Hayes of Wilmington, and Miss Alberta Robinson of Dunn. The James Walker Memorial Nurs- ing School is an accredited number one school, and is one of the largest nursing schools in North Carolina. ENID ATKINSON Hospital Hisloricm

Page 9 text:

f95o Vie liwenlwcmvrmli THE NEW WING James Walker Memorial Hospital

Page 11 text:

1950 Vie LEHDIITVCUDMEE ,ospital Cgjyjqciaf S - . 1 . MR- JOHN RANKIN MR. L. S. MESSICK D'i7'eC'tU7' A.s.si.s1'u11f Dirr'Cz'or Purclzusilzg Agcm' I MR. EMORY GRUBBS MR. FRED WALKER Assisfanf Director fldlllilli-Yfl'llfil'f' Inlrrrzc J Compfrollm' BOARD OF MANAGERS MR. RAYMOND HOLLAND President MR. J. C. ROE MR. DAN PENTON MR. JOHN BLASS MR. LUTHER RANEY MR. WALTER SPRUNT MR. W. D. McCAIG MR. HERBERT BLUETHENTHAL MR. C. H. TRASK