The Midwest Nursing History Research Center (MNHRC) serves as one of three repositories in universities across the country dedicated to preserving and interpreting the history of the men and women who care dedicate their lives to the nursing profession. Located in the 4th floor of the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) College of Nursing, the MNHRC is comprised of a small research library collection, a museum exhibit space, and the center’s holdings which include the personal papers of prominent nurses, the papers of Midwestern nursing associations, and all manner of nursing-related memorabilia and ephemera including uniforms, instruments, art, and photographs. You can find out more about the MNHRC HERE.
Dr. Gwyneth Milbrath,
MNHRC Director
Dr. Gwyneth Milbrath is a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois College of Nursing and is the Director of the Midwest Nursing History Research Center. Her past historical research investigates the role and significance of military nurses during World War I and II, how they were trained, and how they responded to disasters such as the 1918 flu pandemic, or the bombing during Pearl Harbor. As the Director of the MNHRC, she works to provide relevant programming through a nursing history book club and presentations by renowned nurse historians. Additionally, she is committed to expanding and protecting the historical collections within the MNHRC, engaging and elevating underrepresented narratives within nursing history.
Jojo Galvan,
Curator & Archivist
Jojo came to the MNHRC while completing an M.A. in Museum Studies at UIC. He has a background in history with a focus on religion, urban studies, and monuments. He is focused on reviving the center through digital projects, exhibits, and collaborations focusing on contemporary topics in nursing practice. Outside of the center, he works as a museum consultant and spends the rest of his time collecting books and Mid Century Modern furniture.
Kendra Long,
Records and Research Consultant
Kendra Long came to the world of archives from film production, where she has credits working for Sony, Warner Brothers, and Fox Television as an art department researcher. She graduated from Simmons University with a MLIS in Archives Management in 2019, and recently received a Digital Archives Specialist certification from the Society of American Archivists. She lives in Rogers Park and splits her time between her work, her dog Marston, and Loyola Beach.
The documents displayed as a part of this exhibit are only a fraction of the broader collection, which has shared custody between the MNHRC and UIC’s Special Collections and University Archives. If you’d like to learn more about the collection you can get in contact with us or see UIC’s finding aid for the collection here.
