Dorothy Alice Cornelius (March 9, 1918–1992) was a Registered Nurse from

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

who served in executive and in leadership positions in nursing. Cornelius was the only person to be president of the

American Nurses Association The American Nurses Association (ANA) is a 501(c)(6) professional organization to advance and protect the profession of nursing. It started in 1896 as the Nurses Associated Alumnae and was renamed the American Nurses Association in 1911. It is b ...

, the

International Council of Nurses The International Council of Nurses (ICN) is a federation of more than 130 national nurses associations. It was founded in 1899 and was the first international organization for health care professionals. It is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerl ...

, and the

American Journal of Nursing The ''American Journal of Nursing'' (AJN) is a monthly peer-reviewed nursing journal established in 1900. the editor-in-chief was Maureen Shawn Kennedy and it is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. In 2009 the journal was selected as one o ...

Company.

Early life and education

Dorothy Alice Cornelius was born on March 9, 1918, in Johnstown, PA. Cornelius earned a

diploma in nursing A Diploma in Nursing or Nursing Diploma is an entry-level tertiary education nursing credential. Background In the United States, this diploma is usually awarded by hospital-based nursing schools. Diploma programs in the United States require 2 ...

from the Conemaugh Valley Memorial Hospital School of Nursing in Johnstown, PA in 1939. She obtained a Bachelor of Science in nursing from the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing in 1942.

Career

Early career

After graduation, Cornelius worked as a

public health nurse Public health nursing, also known as community health nursing is a nursing specialty focused on public health. The term was coined by Lillian Wald of the Henry Street Settlement, or, Public health nurses (PHNs) or community health nurses "integra ...

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Western Pennsylvania, the second-most populous city in Pennsylva ...

, as Director of the Tuberculosis Hospital. She worked for the American Red Cross in Johnstown and Cleveland, Ohio, as chief nurse of the blood donation program. During World War Two, Cornelius served in the United States Navy Corp of Nurse, Lieutenant Junior Grade.

Ohio Nurses Association

Cornelius held leadership positions in Ohio where she served as the executive director of the Ohio Nurses Association and the editor of the ''Ohio Nurses Review'' from 1957 to 1983. She was appointed to the Governor's Commission on Aging in Ohio in 1961 and chaired the Ohio Women's Defense Council in 1963, and the Girls Industrial School.

American Nurses Association

In 1960, Cornelius was appointed to the American Nurses Association's Committee on Economic and General Welfare. She was elected the first vice-president of the American Nurses Association in 1964. During this period, Cornelius was also the chairwomen of the American Nurses Association's Finance, Retirement, and Employee Relations Committees. Cornelius took on the position of president of the American Nurses Association in 1968. Cornelius worked to professionalize nursing and for mandatory licensure of nurses.

International Council of Nurses

In 1973, Cornelius was elected president of the International Council of Nurses.

United States Federal Committees

Cornelius was appointed to national committees by

United States Presidents The president of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States, indirectly elected to a four-year term via the Electoral College. The officeholder leads the executive branch of the federal government and ...

Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...

John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination ...

Lyndon B. Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), often referred to by his initials LBJ, was an American politician who served as the 36th president of the United States from 1963 to 1969. He had previously served as the 37th vice ...

, and

Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a representative and senator from California and was ...

Political office

In 1963 Cornelius was the first women to run for city council in her hometown,

Reynoldsburg, Ohio Reynoldsburg is a city in Fairfield, Franklin, and Licking counties in the U.S. state of Ohio. It is a suburban community in the Columbus, Ohio metropolitan area. The population was 41,076 at the 2020 census. History Reynoldsburg was origina ...

. She held other local positions including ward chairwomen and membership on the Reynoldsburg Planning and Zoning Commission.

Recognition

Cornelius was named one of Ohio's Top Ten Women in 1963. She received commendations from the governors of Ohio and Pennsylvania, and the Ohio Senate and House of Representatives. Other awards include the American Red Cross National Award for distinguished service, Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing in 1977. Cornelius was inducted in to the Ohio Women's Hall of Fame in 1981, the American Nursing Association Hall of Fame in 1996 and the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame in 1997. Cornelius was honored as an Ohio State University Local Legend in 2008. The Ohio Nurses Association headquarters building was named after Cornelius in 1977.

Death and legacy

Cornelius retired in 1983 because of declining health. She died in 1992. The Mid-Ohio District Nurses Association established the Dorothy Alice Cornelius Nursing Scholarship Fund to "honor the professionalism and ideals" of Cornelius.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cornelius, Dorothy American Nurses Association American nursing administrators People from Licking County, Ohio University of Pittsburgh alumni People from Reynoldsburg, Ohio American women nurses