Matthews, Norman, Parrish, Pardue Graduate Lawrence Hospital Training School, June 6, 1923

Diplomas Given Graduate Nurses. . . Exercises of Lawrence Hospital Training School Held Last Night

The graduating exercises of the class of 1923 of the Nurses’ Training school of Lawrence Hospital were held last night in the orangerie of the Robert E. Lee Hotel. The room was taxed to its capacity by the large assemblage of friends of the graduating nurses and of the hospital who gathered for the occasion. Dr. C.S. Lawrence president. The address of the evening was made by Mrs. Howard Rondthaler. The diplomas were presented to the graduates by Dr. Lawrence. Several delightful musical selections were rendered during the evening.

The invocation was given by the Rev. J.S. Hiatt. Miss Jessie Lipo sang a solo in her charming manner. Mrs. Ronthaler, in speaking to the nurses who had completed the course, gave them many suggestions for making their services more effective and pointed out many ways in which they can be of service in capacities incidental to their professional roles. She decried the modern tendency toward commercialization and counseled the nurses not to yield to this tendency.

The address by Mrs. Ronthaler was followed by a violin selection by James Platt. Dr. Lawrence as a prelude to the presentation of diplomas briefly reviewed the history of the hospital movement in Winston-Salem. The first hospital was located on South Liberty street. In 1911 a hospital was established on the old West End site. In 1912 bonds were voted and what was known as the City Memorial Hospital was quickly outgrown and has been materially increased. Dr. Lawrence found at the close of the war that the City Hospital, as it was then known, was overcrowded and conceived the idea of establishing a private institution.

The first Lawrence Hospital was opened in the building at the corner of Sixth and Liberty streets in 1919. About a year later the hospital was moved to the present building on Oak Street. This hospital contains 40 beds. During the time since the opening of the Lawrence Hospital 2,000 patients have been treated, Dr. Lawrence said. The idea of having a nurses’ training school in connection with the hospital was conceived and has been found very successful.

Dr. Lawrence then presented diplomas to the members of the class as follows:

Miss Zora Annie Matthews

Miss Treva Sue Norman

Miss Rosa Armitta Parrish

Miss Laura Edna Pardue

The pins were presented by Miss Ethel Nicholson. Before receiving the diplomas, the graduates repeated the impressive Florence Nightingale oath.

The program closed with a vocal selection by Messrs. E.R. Clapp, A.H. Doggett, Reid Nunn and Paul Nunn.

From the Winston-Salem Journal, Wednesday, June 6, 1923