Mary Sewall Gardner

Mary Sewall Gardner (February 5, 1871 – February 20, 1961) was an American nurse who is best known for her work in public health. She established the National Organization for Public Health Nursing, now called the National League of Nursing, and wrote the first public health textbook for nurses, Public Health Nursing. For her accomplishments, she was inducted into the American Nurses Association Hall of Fame in 1986.

Early life and education Mary Sewall Gardner was born on February 5, 1871, in Newton, Massachusetts, the daughter of Mary (Thornton-Davis-Gardner). Gardner had one older brother, Charles Thornton Davis, from her mother's previous marriage to Dr. Davis. She grew up in Providence, Rhode Island. She advocated to increase staffing for a special nurse positions to care for children, to provide safe milk to families who could not afford to buy it, and to create a registry of milkmen that provide clean milk. She helped to organize public health nursing internationally.

Later life, recognition, and death Gardner received an honorary master's degree from Brown University, Rhode Island, the Walter Burns Saunders Medal for her distinguished service to nursing, and was inducted into the American Nurses Association Hall of Fame in 1986.

Gardner died in 1961 in Providence, Rhode Island.