The Barbara Bates Center for The Study of The History of Nursing at Penn

09/21/2026

Join us for a chance to get up-close and personal with early American nursing! Registration is available through the link in the comments.

09/15/2026

Registration link in the comments.

09/11/2026

We're pleased to announce the publication of a new digital resource in the history of nursing!

Remember the Nurses: American Nursing in the 18th Century, by Meg E. Roberts and Jessica Martucci

In 2026, in recognition of the United States of America’s 250th anniversary, the Barbara Bates Center for the Study of the History of Nursing launched a groundbreaking project called Nursing the Revolution. The exhibit brought together rare and newly unearthed historical evidence of the critical work of nurses during the American Revolutionary War. Its goal was to place the story of nursing and caregiving at the very center of America’s founding and to highlight the connections between the story of nursing in the 18th century and our healthcare system today.

This digital collection is an outgrowth of this project, but it carries a slightly different mission: to expand the visibility of nursing in archival records of early America. Named with deliberate reference to Abigail Adams’ famous call upon her husband, John Adams, to “Remember the Ladies, and be more generous and favourable to them than your ancestors…” Here, we ask visitors to this site to “Remember the Nurses,” whose work was so often made invisible and whose presence has more often than not been treated as a matter of women’s nature, rather than as an act of deliberate skill and labor. Please visit, explore, learn, and above all—Remember the Nurses!

In 2026, in recognition of the United States of America’s 250th anniversary, the Barbara Bates Center for the Study of the History of Nursing launched a groundbreaking exhibit called Nursing the Revolution. The exhibit brought together rare and newly unearthed historical evidence of the ...

08/04/2026

By 2025, the Bates Center had awarded more than 100 fellowships through the Lillian Sholtis Brunner Fellowship, the Alice Fisher Society Fellowship, and the Karen Buhler-Wilkerson Faculty Research Fellowship.

This milestone is part of Bates at 40, a celebration of the many ways the Center has supported research, discovery, and new scholarship over four decades. Through archives, exhibitions, fellowships, and scholarship, the Bates Center continues to preserve nursing history and share its impact with new generations.

07/29/2026

As part of Bates at 40: Milestones in Nursing History, we’re marking the moments that have shaped the Barbara Bates Center for the Study of the History of Nursing over the past four decades. In 2018, the Preserving Our Future campaign reached its $1 million goal, representing a major investment in the Center’s long-term mission. This milestone strengthened support for archives, fellowships, public programming, and the future of nursing history scholarship.

Through its archives, exhibitions, fellowships, and scholarship, the Bates Center continues to preserve nursing history and share its impact with new generations.

07/21/2026

In 2016, the Barbara Bates Center for the Study of the History of Nursing welcomed the records of the National League for Nursing, one of the most influential organizations in nursing education. This collection strengthened the Center’s role as a major home for the history of nursing leadership and reform.

As part of Bates at 40: Milestones in Nursing History, we’re celebrating the milestones that have shaped the past four decades. Through archives, exhibitions, fellowships, and scholarship, the Bates Center continues to preserve nursing history and share its impact with new generations.

07/21/2026

In 2018, the Barbara Bates Center for the Study of the History of Nursing received the records of the National Association of Hispanic Nurses, preserving the history of an organization that has advanced representation, leadership, and equity in nursing. This collection broadened the archive’s record of nursing advocacy and community impact.

As part of Bates at 40: Milestones in Nursing History, we’re celebrating the milestones that have shaped the center. Through archives, exhibitions, fellowships, and scholarship, the Bates Center continues to preserve nursing history and share its impact with new generations.

07/08/2026

In 2014, the Barbara Bates Center for the Study of the History of Nursing received the papers of Ruth Watson Lubic, a nurse innovator, educator, and champion of community-based birth care. Her collection preserves the work of a leader who reshaped maternal and infant health.

As part of Bates at 40, we are celebrating the milestones that have shaped the past four decades. Through archives, exhibitions, fellowships, and scholarship, the Bates Center continues to preserve nursing history and share its impact with new generations.

07/06/2026

The Bates Center's work with Dr. Meg E. Roberts on "Nursing the Revolution" is highlighted throughout this issue of the AJN!

In recognition of the 250th anniversary of American independence, AJN's special July issue highlights nursing's role in early U.S. history. There's also a CE on the challenges of night shift nursing, a Specialty Spotlight on oncology nursing, and lots more. Check out our recommended reading: https://ajnoffthecharts.com/250-years-of-american-nursing-and-more-ajn-july-issue-highlights/

06/30/2026

Philadelphia's story is inseparable from the story of America, and that includes the history of nursing.

We're honored that "Nursing the Revolution," an exhibition by the Barbara Bates Center for the Study of the History of Nursing at the University of Pennsylvania, has been recognized by The Philadelphia Inquirer as one of the region's featured America 250 experiences.

Presented as part of America 250 at Penn, the exhibit explores Revolutionary-era nursing through rare historical materials and reproductions, highlighting the often-overlooked contributions of Black and Indigenous people and the enduring influence of African healing traditions and Indigenous knowledge on early American medicine.

History isn't just about the battles fought: It is also about the caregivers, healers, and communities whose contributions shaped a nation.

Visit Nursing the Revolution at the Barbara Bates Center through November 20 (by appointment). Learn more here: https://bit.ly/4emuI32