Text for Humorous Program on Women's Activities, undated

The Julia C. Stimson, RN Papers contains correspondence, diaries, newspaper clippings, military paperwork, publications, speeches, and artifacts related to her life and career. Some personal materials from Julia Stimson’s early life, such as her childhood bible and college yearbook, as well as items from her time as a nursing school student, such as her report card and dissertation entitled “Compulsory Health Insurance,” are also housed within this collection.

The diaries, which span 1908-1948, provide brief glimpses into Stimson’s career and personal life. Though the entries are generally short – usually no more than a sentence long - they provide insight into Julia Stimson’s daily activities and thoughts.

The personal and official includes letters from family, friends, nursing colleagues, and the U.S. military. Stimson’s 1917-1919 correspondence provides first-hand observations about her experiences as a nurse during World War I, and these letters later served as the basis for her book Finding Themselves- The Letters of an American Army Chief Nurse in a British Hospital in France (1919). The wartime letters from Julia Stimson to her parents also include messages from her brother, Dr. Philip Moen Stimson (Cornell University Medical College, Class of 1914), who also served during World War I and briefly spent time recuperating from a shrapnel injury at Julia’s base hospital in France. Julia Stimson’s later correspondence focuses strongly upon her publications about nursing, administrative work, and her daily routines. The collection also includes correspondence regarding Julia Stimson’s death.

Colonel Stimson was a strong advocate for the nursing profession and her commitment is demonstrated through her many publications and speeches, as well as her membership in several nursing organizations (such as the National Nurses Council for War Service and International Council of Nurses), all of which are documented within the collection.

Her work and dedication toward the Army and the Army School of Nursing are displayed in her military portfolio, letters of appointment, medals and awards, the scrapbook of her Army recruitment tour of 1943-1944, official papers, as well as in her wartime correspondence.

The newspaper clippings generally document Colonel Stimson’s experience as a nurse during World War I, as well as her many later career achievements, such as book reviews and citation announcements.

Additionally, the collection contains scrapbook materials (mostly photocopies) and a household book she kept during the 1940's detailing her properties, furnishings, and bond purchases. Copies of Colonel Stimson’s health records and family wills can also be found within the collection.

Finally, the collection includes a number of artifacts. This includes a sewing box, medals, buttons, various military insignia, ration books, professional cards, and other items presumably collected by or from Julia C. Stimson.