Full Name: Lillian D. Wald
Profession: Nurse and Social Activist
Biography: A social activist and pioneering nurse who founded American community nursing, Wald created the internationally acclaimed Henry Street Settlement in New York in 1893 which provided healthcare to the poor. She was spurred to create it after encountering a woman in need of healthcare after giving birth; her doctor had left her as she could not afford to pay.
After founding the facility in New York she became a lifelong advocate for immigrants, poor people, women and minorities. She also campaigned for suffrage, while also helping to found the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in 1909. She taught various community health programs and was a pioneering figure in community outreach.
Born: March 10, 1867
Birthplace: Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
Star Sign: Pisces
Died: September 1, 1940 (aged 73)
Cause of Death: Cerebral hemorrhage
Historical Events
- 1909-02-12 National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) forms
- 1909-05-31 National Conference on the Negro holds its first meeting in United Charities Building, New York (earlier form of the NAACP)
- 1910-05-12 Second NAACP conference in NYC
Clara Barton
Edith Cavell
Florence Nightingale
Jeanne Mance
Margaret Sanger
Walt Whitman