Candace O’Connor
This public health lecture series is named in honor of the historic Homer G. Phillips Hospital in St. Louis\, the pre mier training ground for African American medical professionals. Although i t closed its doors on August 17\, 1979\, we can learn much from the hospita l’s history\, presented by the very people who worked diligently to provide culturally sensitive care to the patients who so deeply trusted and loved them. Due to the pandemic\, this year’s lecture will be virtual.
Candace O’Connor
Candace O’C onnor is an award-winning\, freelance writer and editor. She specializes in historical and medical writing and is the author of 13 books on Midwest hi story. For more than three decades\, her magazine and newspaper stories hav e appeared in local and national publications. Her recent book projects inc lude: A Legacy of Caring: The History of Barnes-Jewish Hospital (2017)\; Re naissance: A History of the Central West End (2017)\; histories of the depa rtments of neurology\, surgery\, and radiology at the Washington University School of Medicine (WUSM)\; a history of St. Louis Children’s Hospital cal led Hope and Healing: St. Louis Children’s Hospital\, The First 125 Years ( 2006)\; a history of Washington University in St. Louis titled Beginning a Great Work: Washington University\, 1853-2003 (2004)\; and A Song of Faith and Hope: The Life of Frankie Muse Freeman (2003).
In 2021\, she comp leted a new book project\, Climbing the Ladder\, Chasing the Dream: The His tory of Homer G. Phillips Hospital (University of Missouri Press\, 2021)\, which traces the history of the only public African-American hospital in St . Louis. Using the voices of former nurses and physicians\, along with in-d epth research\, she describes the life of the hospital known as “Homer G.\, ” which opened in a gala 1937 dedication and closed amid bitter controversy in 1979.
Currently\, she is starting work on two new books: a histor y of the WUSM Department of Pathology\; and a history of Riley Children’s H ospital in Indianapolis. Other recent projects include a history of lake wh ere she and her husband have vacationed: A Gem of the Adirondacks\, Garnet Lake.
She grew up in Rochester\, New York and graduated from Cornell University. Today\, in her volunteer time\, she enjoys tutoring young stude nts and working with newly released ex-offenders. She and her husband\, a r etired dean from Washington University\, live in St. Louis. They have two d aughters and four grandchildren.
Helen Nash\, MD
Helen Elizabeth Nash broke down raci al barriers when she became the first African-American doctor to join the s taff of St. Louis Children’s Hospital in 1949. She was born in Atlanta\, th e third of six children. A 1942 graduate of Spelman College with high honor s\, Nash graduated from Meharry Medical College in Nashville in 1945. Her f ather\, who received his medical degree from Meharry in 1910\, was initiall y resistant to his daughter studying medicine. However\, once Helen made th e honor roll her first semester\, he accepted and supported her career choi ce. Despite harsh discrimination against black Americans and women in medic ine\, she was determined to become a physician\, and her upbringing and edu cation had given her the self-confidence she would need to succeed.
I nternships and residency opportunities were limited for non-white medical s chool graduates at that time. Homer G. Philips Hospital\, opened in 1937 as a segregated hospital\, was the only hospital in St. Louis offering learni ng opportunities and clinical experience to African-American doctors. Nash began a rotating internship there in 1945\, working on twelve services in o ne year. A three-year residency in pediatrics followed. In 1949 she was the only woman among the first four African-American physicians invited to joi n the staff of the Washington University School of Medicine. As a pediatric ian\, Nash became a member of the house staff of St. Louis Children’s Hospi tal.
Nash served for over 40 years on the clinical faculty of Washing ton University School of Medicine and on the attending staff at St. Louis C hildren’s Hospital. At the same time\, she maintained a thriving private pr actice. In addition\, she served as pediatric supervisor and associate dire ctor of Pediatrics at Homer G. Phillips Hospital from 1950 to 1964. Nash se rved as president of the St. Louis Children’s Hospital attending staff from 1977 to 1979. Nash was long recognized in the St. Louis community for her commitment to excellence\, tireless advocacy on behalf of children\, and en dless enthusiasm for the field of medicine. Nash is best known for her work as an advocate for children. By visiting “preemie” units in other hospital s around the country\, she developed a designated ward for premature infant s that was cleaner and included air conditioning and individual bassinets\, and provided improved training for nursing staff.
In 1993 Nash retir ed as professor emeritus (clinical) of Pediatrics. After her retirement\, N ash served as the medical school’s dean of Minority Affairs from 1994 to 19 96. Since 1996\, the Washington University School of Medicine has bestowed the Dr. Helen E. Nash Academic Achievement Award to a student who has exhib ited to an unusual degree the qualities of industry\, perseverance\, determ ination\, and enthusiasm. She has also worked actively with the Health and Welfare Council of Metropolitan St. Louis and was a fellow of the Academy o f Science of St. Louis. She was a trustee of Spelman College\, the St. Loui s Symphony and of the Missouri Botanical Gardens. In 1992\, she also receiv ed two honorary degrees: a doctor of humane letters from Webster University \, and a doctor of humane letters from the University of Missouri in St. Lo uis.
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For questions\, please contact Liz Riggs at eriggs@wustl.edu or (314) 362-6854.
Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all Washington Un iversity School of Medicine sponsored events. If you are a person with a d isability who requires a reasonable accommodation in order to participate i n this event\, please contact the Washington University School of Medicine Office of Diversity\, Equity and Inclusion a week in advance at 314-273-280 9 or MedDEI@wustl.edu.
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