Roena Graham Helms earned a diploma in Nursing in 1935 and continued to work at Georgetown University Hospital during World War II, retiring upon her marriage in 1945. In the image on the right, Helms is pictured in her student nurses’ uniform, which consisted of a blue and white striped dress that fell to the mid-calf with a large bib that went around the neck and a white apron that fell the entire length of the dress. Students also wore a white cap once they completed a probationary period.
The wool cape seen here was part of the standard uniform for Georgetown nursing students until at least 1968. It has the initials “G.H.” embroidered on the collar to signify Georgetown Hospital. In the image on the left, Helms can be seen wearing the typical uniform for practicing nurses.
Gift of Jo Anne Belle Yamaka