Celebrating Women's History Month | Mary Gladwin, Eta-Akron
By Archivist/Historian Diane Hall, Eta Upsilon-Drexel
During Women's History Month, we celebrate the accomplishments and contributions of extraordinary women who have left a lasting impact on society. Among these barrier-breakers are the Notable Delta Gammas, who have advanced our mission of doing good and left lasting legacies in various fields, from business and politics to arts and philanthropy. This month serves as a reminder to honor their achievements, inspire future generations, and reflect on the collective power of women who continue to shape our world.
Born on December 24, 1861, in Stoke-upon-Trent, England, Mary Gladwin immigrated with her parents to the United States at the age of seven and settled in Akron, Ohio.
Mary attended Buchtel College (now the University of Akron), where she was initiated into Delta Gamma in 1883. At the time, most institutions of higher learning did not accept female students, but Buchtel was founded as a co-educational institution. Mary graduated in 1887 with a bachelor of philosophy degree and spent several years teaching physics and chemistry. In 1893, she moved to Boston and trained as a nurse at Boston City Hospital. This decision changed her life and led to her helping people worldwide.
The era was one of much conflict, with the United States involved in multiple wars worldwide. In 1898, the United States intervened in the Cuban War of Independence (1895 – 1898) to support Cuban independence from Spain. This led to the outbreak of the Spanish-American War (1898), and Mary, serving as a Red Cross volunteer, traveled to Cuba to provide aid. Then, the Philippine-American War (1898) broke out as Philippine nationalists resisted their annexation to the United States. Mary once again provided help to those in need. Just a few years later, the Russo-Japanese War (1904 – 1905) began, and Mary traveled to Hiroshima, Japan, to provide service.
After the Russo-Japanese War, Mary remained in the United States, serving in a number of different nursing positions, including Superintendent of Beverly Hospital in Massachusetts and Superintendent of Women’s Hospital in New York City. In 1913, she returned to Ohio to direct Red Cross nursing services following a devasting flood that struck Dayton, Ohio. After the flood, she worked for several different organizations, including serving as the Superintendent of Nurses at City Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio, President of the Ohio State Nurses Association and Director for the American Nurses Association.
With the outbreak of World War I, Mary once again traveled across the world to provide aid. She served in Belgrade, Serbia, where she helped care for some 9,000 soldiers. After the war, she briefly returned to the United States before returning to Serbia to help with relief work.
Later in her life, Mary was the Director of Nursing Education at St. Mary's Hospital in Minneapolis, Minnesota and Director of the School of Nursing at St. Mary's Hospital in Rochester, Minnesota.
Throughout her life she was bestowed many awards for her service. These included: Spanish-American War Medal, Japanese Life Membership in the Imperial Red Cross, Japanese Imperial Order, Japanese Imperial Red Cross Medal for special service, and Japanese Medal for General Service, Serbian Order of St. Sava, Serbian Royal Red Cross, Cross of Charity, Russian Imperial Medal and Ribbon of St. Anne. And, in 1920, the first year it was given, she received the Florence Nightingale Medal. She was one of only six recipients from the United States that year.
Is there a Delta Gamma you think should be included on our Notable Delta Gamma’s list? Submit their name for consideration by filling out this form.