Jackson 4-5911 Barney Library, Hartford Hospital School of Nursing Hartford, Conn. May 3, 1957.
Miss Ethel M. Zika, 3043 West 105 Cleveland, 11, Ohio. Dear Hiss Zika: Miss Brooks has referred to me your letter of April 25, asking about Miss Lauder Sutherland. Miss Sutherland was Director of the School of Nursing and of nursing service at Hartford Hospital from October 1 1905, until her death on March 25 1918. She was born in Coburg, Ontario, and was a graduate of the School of Nursing at the Toronto General Hospital. She was at the Lakeside Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio for seven years before coming to Hartford. While she was in Hartford, the school of nursing increased greatly in size and there were a number of important developments in the curriculum. Miss Sutherland was active in the graduate nurses association of Connecticut(now the Connecticut state Nurses Ass.) was a member of the board of directors Of THE NATIONAL LEAGUE OF NURSING EDUCATION at the time of her death, and had a great deal to do with the development of nursing education in this area. (see The American Journal of nursing) June 1918 pages 844-846, for comments on her contributions. The Lauder Sutherland memorial fund was proposed by the Hartford Hospital School of nursing alumnae Association in 1918. "To assist nurses desiring to study for special work”. (From Hartford Hospital School Alumnae Association bulletin 1923 page 22). Actually the first money given for the fund was by the class of 1920 and has been added to frequently since(Hartford Hospital School of nursing Alumnae bulletin 1923 page 22) I hope this gives you the information you want. The American Journal of nursing, June 1918 pages 844-846,gives more detail about Miss Sutherland's Qualities as a leader State-wise and Nationally and includes a lovely portrait of her. Since you are so near The Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing of Western Reserve you might like to go to it's library and look up the obituary yourself. Sincerely, (Mrs.)Helen W. Munson, librarian. cc-Miss Brooks. The copy of the Obituary was sent to me by both—The American Journal of Nursing though the courtesy of Miriam Lees Huget-Circulation Manager, and Mrs. Geraldine Mink-Librarian-The Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing- Western Reserve. The copy was printed in the June 1918 "Journal". The original copy sent me is in The Lakewood School of Practical Nursing files. The record of work of Miss Sutherland at Lakeside Hospital, Cleveland, Ohio are not complete. Annual report for the year ending, December 31,1903 included the following statements-page 39: “Miss Lauder Sutherland, Ward B, and Miss Mina Russell head nurse, Ward L, to take positions as supervisors of the Preliminary course at Lakeside Hospital. In the report for the following year,1904, appear the following: "Miss Frances McEwon, housekeeper resigned beginning of the year to accept the position of Superintendent of the Lakeside Hospital of Chicago,-Miss Lauder Sutherland a Graduate Nurse and former head nurse of the Gynaecological Ward and later Supervisor of Nurses was appointed to succeed Miss McEwon. In the report ending the year December 31,1905, the following: The only changes which occurred during the year on the Superintendent's staff, was in the Housekeeping Department, when Miss Sutherland resigned in October to take the position as Principal of the Training School of The Hartford Hospital in Hartford, Connecticut. Since Miss Sutherland was neither Director of nurses nor Principal of the school here, not too much is available in the records. I trust this information will be of interest to you even though you no doubt have all the facts from the communication from Hartford Hospital.Librarian Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing Western Reserve
Ethel M. Zika, 3043 West 105, Cleveland, ll, Ohio.Dear Mrs. Zika:
Thank you again, for the information you have obtained about various aspects of 7he Chase Hospital Doll.
You have apparently uncovered a misunderstanding we have held about Miss Sutherland. We did not know there were two Miss Sutherlands in the nursing profession at about the same time; one at Hartford Hospital, and one at The Memorial Hospital at Pawtucket, R.I. We have for all these years assumed that the Miss. Sutherland at Memorial Hospital was the same as the Miss Sutherland at The Hartford Hospital.
From our records, it was Miss Lauder Sutherland of Hospital who made the initial inquiry about the possibility of making an adult size doll in the manner of the then famous Chase Stockinette Dolls(a toy doll).
Mrs. Martha J. Chase, with the help of her husband, Doctor Julian C. Chase developed the pattern and methods for making an adult size mannikin. The first doll was supplied to The Hartford Hospital.
As improvements were made in The Chase Hospital Doll, the Miss Sutherland of Pawtucket Memorial Hospital was possibly consulted. The Memorial Hospital received the second Chase Hospital Doll. Both Dr. Chase and Mrs. Martha J. Chase were active with the hospital from it’s being, and they undoubtedly were acquainted with Miss Myral Sutherland.
We are indeed very grateful to you for disclosing that there were two Hiss Sutherlands. We did not know this fact.
We have a copy of The American Journal of Nursing of January 1939 article. We helped in preparing this story. Thank you for your great effort in preparing a copy for us.
We are indeed impressed with the tremendous amount of time and effort you spent in investigating this subject. We have quite a few corespondences with people seeking information about The Chase Hospital Doll. We have never met anyone that has done the extensive work that you have done. We are truly amazed and very grateful. We are keeping all your notes for our file. We shall always be appreciative of the work you have done. Very truly yours, M.J. Chase Co.
