Portland Observer Thursday, October 26, 1978 Page 3
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by Kathryn Bogle
Sometimes in a life when the low
places of despair appear to dominate,
the inner strengths take over and the
high places o f the soul take form and
outlive. The strengths were always
there but now they are discernable
and become the driving force from
within. You have seen this happen.
So it was with a lady named Ger
trude Stitt.
Classmates among the student
nurses clipped the G ertrude to
" T ru d y ” . As Trudy Stitt she was
graduated from Good Samaritan
Hospital. She was the first Black
nursing school graduate from any
hospital in Oregon. This was in 1949.
But let us begin at the beginning,
with her family telling the story of
this rem arkable lady. Letting us
know what a strong, courageous
woman she was.
Trudy was born in Alabama, in
Roanoke, a town about eighty miles
west o f Atlanta, Georgia. She was
the daughter o f Joseph Stitt and
Susan Jones. H er birthdate was
given as March 22, 1926. The hour of
her birth goes unknown for there was
no clock in the Stitt home. They did
not own a clock. They could not af
ford this luxury.
Concerning the time o f Trudy’s
birth parents and grandparents are
certain o f this much; the baby was
born between the hours o f the
evening freight train on March 21st
and the morning freight train on
March 22nd.
Later on the little girl Trudy en
tered her first school. She had to
walk two miles to get there. In those
years in the South, white children
rode in a school bus to their school
while Black children walked to
theirs. Trudy showed herself to be a
diligent student and by the time she
was ready for the eleventh grade she
was sent as a boarding school student
to Southern Normal School.
Upon graduation in 194S, Trudy
was offered a scholarship to Iowa
College which she declined because
she had decided within herself to
become a nurse. Her hopes were that
she might enter nurse training in
nearby Atlanta.
At Roanoke, meanwhile, several
able members o f T ru d y ’ s fam ily,
aunts and uncles included, had
joined a great exodus to the ship
yards of the West during World War II.
Gertrude "Trudy'' Stitt
In a flood o f re ief Trudy bought
her tickets and then she realized that
she had been referret to as a “ lady” .
It was the first time sh had ever been
Trudy was left in Roa toke with the
responsibility o f car ng for two
young cousins. Plans wo ild be made
to relieve her o f child cart so that she
could go on with her ed cation in
Atlanta.
In due time it was deck ed that
Trudy should deliver the chiilren to
their parents where they w et, now
living in Vancouver, Washit. <ton.
Within a few days following, 1 -udy
found herself in Chicago, waiting in
line at the railway station for tickets
to the west coast.
Lines were long and slow moving.
Reservations for departure to the
“ City o f Portland” were made only
every other day. Trudy’s brow must
have furrowed in anxiety as she held
the hands of her two small charges
and thought o f the limited funds in
her purse which she had to make last
to their destination.
As she inched slowly towards the
ticket w indow , T ru d y heard the
ticket agent say that he would be
closing the window for that day as
soon as he had waited on the lady.
Stricken and terrified with the
thought that she was now alone and
stranded with two small boys in that
vast place jammed with strangers
jostling each other, Trudy stepped
aside and out o f line. Seeing Trudy’s
distress, someone tapped her arm
and convinced her that she was the
lady the ticket agent meant to serve
next.
called a “ lady” and now her head lift
ed and her eyes held a new light. It
was a good omen, she felt.
After arrival in Vancouver and
joining her relatives there Trudy
quickly found work as a domestic.
She needed to earn as much as she
could for the Atlanta Nursing School
term in the fall.
Across the Columbia river in Port
land, Oregon, the Rt. Reverend Ben
jam in Dagw ell, Bishop o f the
Episcopal Church in the diocese of
Oregon, had made a special promise.
He had pledged his faith in the
brotherhood o f mankind. He had
also been told o f the glaring over
sight in the hiring practices o f all
Oregon hospitals. This included the
hiring at Good Samaritan Hospital,
the progressive and excellent Port
land institution o f his own diocese.
At that time, and it could be easily
verified, there were hardly five Black
male janitors in all o f Portland’ s
several hospitals (hence Oregon) put
together. There were no Black em
ployees other than these few men.
There was one nurse, there were no
ward
clerks,
no
lab orato ry
technicians. A udrey Ellis R .N .,
alone represented the entire Black
population among nurses in the
state. The record stands that Good
Samaritan hired Mrs. Ellis in 1943.
Were there any Black girls in nurse
training? No, the good Bishop learn
ed. Why? The Bishop wanted to
know. W e ll, the first Black girl
would have to be some sort o f super-
woman to graduate. Why? The
Bishop pursued the topic.
Well, he was told, the first Black
nurse trainee had to be a good
scholar, she had to have good health
and good morals. She would have to
have stamina and she had to want to
be a nurse above all else. And, of
course, a special kind o f personality,
set with sufficient built-in resilience,
would have to be a natural faculty of
this jewel.
He had promised, and he would
find her, the Bishop concluded.
In Vancouver, Trudy was enjoying
being near her family once again.
Her family encouraged her to think
o f staying in the vicinity. They want
ed her to try to get into her nursing
career in this new locality.
The stage was literally set. Trudy
entered Good Samaritan School of
Nursing in September, 1946 — the
first Black to enter nursing school in
the state. She was the jewel found.
Trudy was president o f her class
when she was graduated in Septem
ber o f 1949. She was voted “ best
bedside nurse” and she made history
by being the first Black nursing
school graduate from Oregon. Local
hospital doors, closed before to
Black employment, now swung open
to all regardless o f race.
To be continued next week.
© Family Album Northwest
VOTE
NOVEMBER 7,1978
Robert Edward Phillips
for MSD, Position 11
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Equitable and fair taxes
Services to the elderly
Safe communities
Citizen participation
Program accountability
Help for middle income families
Paid f o r by Koben Phillips f o r M S D Committee, Position I I , Pat Massey, Treasurer, S72S
N .E . Kodney, Portland, Oregon 97211.
Buy ® Certificate
of Deposit at
American State Bank
and W e ìl Give You
This Color TV:
19" Magnavox solìd state color TV
PPS provides 24-hour info
Keep the lines o f communication
open to the public. That's the goal of
the P o rtlan d Public School’ s
“ Citizen Information” service.
C itizen In fo rm atio n , 233-9833,
has been expanded to a 24-hour
telephone line. During regular busi
ness hours, callers’ questions will con
tinue to be answered by the public in
formation staff.
Evenings and weekends, an elec
tronic answering service takes the
caller's name, address, phone num
ber and question. Staff will contact
the caller during the next business
day, or respond by letter as soon as
possible.
The Citizen Inform ation service
was established about six years ago
to help school patrons quickly find
answers to questions they have con
cerning the Portland Public Schools.
Realizing that many people find it
d iffic u lt to call during regular
business hours, 8:00 a.m. to 3:00
p.m., the Public Information Depart
ment installed the phone service to
reach those people who might other
wise be missed — just because the of
fice was closed.
(13" color set also available)
Buy a certificate of Deposit at American State Bank and
receive a brand new Magnavox color set as your prepaid interest.
It's like getting Instant Interest.
Perfect for any room, these 100% solid state Magnavox color
sets are built of durable high-impact plastic with a beautiful walnut
grain finish.
Compact in size, but big in fine performance and quality
features, you’ll enjoy your favorite programs in vivid color for years
to come.
Backed by full factory warranty and factory service, these sets
are now on display for your inspection at both American State Bank
offices.
American State Bank invites you to choose one of the follow
ing savings plans and receive your Instant Interest in the form of a
Magnavox color TV.
Receive a color TV set for each certificate of deposit you buy.
Masons begin crime survey
On Saturday, October 28th begin
ning at 10:00 a .m ., the Portland
Police Bureau C rim e Prevention
Unit in conjunction with the gréater
Northeast Precinct Council and the
Prince Hall Masons will conduct a
canvassing in the area between N .E.
Failing Street and N .E . Skidmore
Street from N .E . Sixth Avenue and
N .E. 12th Avenue. The purpose of
the canvass is to generate block
meetings and security surveys; to in
crease awareness o f the burglary
cime problem in that area and to
solicit any suspect in fo rm a tio n .
Members o f the public are en
couraged to “ give crime prevention a
hand in that neighborhood,” by
volunteering to canvass. The staging
area will be the M att Dishman Cen
ter, 77 N .E. Knott.
V
American State Bank
19" color TV Mt/lnstant Interest
Amount of your
Deposit
& 2 S S tof
SERVICE COMPANY
''Exquisite Q u ality”
LEATHER RECOLORING
vinylnrepair
AUTO A FURNITURE
ALSO
LEATHER REPAIR WINDSHIELD REPAIR
STRIPING A SIDE MOLDING
COMPLETE AUTO TRIM SUNROOF INSTALLATION
213 N . KILUNGSWORTH 249-8111
eA, . s
I
TV
I ÿpecwil volume
I « ‘ ä S w r iir
$1600
$2600
$4800
7.25%
6.6%
6%
48 Month»
30 Month»
15 Month»
$31«.
$310.
$316.
«1627.M
$263880
•4 8 0 6 30
13" color TV set/lnstent Interest
¿53
Main Office
Eastmoreland
2737 N E Union Branch
282-2216
4451 S E. 28th
238-7080
M ember F.D.I.C.
Fill out this authorization application and bring to American State
Bank. Or mail with your check to Instant Interest, American State
Bank, P.O. Box 12348, Portland, Oregon 97212
I am endorsing the following deposit to purchase an American State Bank
Instant Interest Savings certificate of deposit for $ ------------- -------matunng
years from the date I agree to accept either a 13 Magnavox color
television set oi • 19' Magnavox color television set (as indicated below) as
prepaid interest on said certificate for time stated I understand Federal law
prohibits the payment of a time deposit prior to maturity unless three months of
interest thereon is forfeited and interest on the amount withdrawn is reduced to
the passbook rate In such event I agree to keep the Magnavox television set
and pay American State Bank $ 3 8 9 95 for the 1 3 set or $4 69 0 0 for the 19 set.
which amount shall be deducted from the principal and mtsrest payable to me
under the certificate Interest will be the rate in effect on this date
Please m ake my prepaid interest th e Q 13 ' Magnavox s e t d 1 9 Magnavox set
Pick up your television set at the Bank or we will deliver it at the carrier charge
anywhere in Oregon
Offer may be withdrawn without prior notice
Amount of your
Deposit
•1 5 0 0
$2500
8480Q
Interest
7.25%
8.5%
8%
Length ot
Deposit
48 Month»
15 Months
Bank'» cost of TV
itpeciel volume
discount)
$265
30 Month»
♦
$2»
«288
Redemption et
Maturity
$1583.15
82688.18
$ 4 4 4042
Federal law requires substantial Interest penalties on early withdrawal.
Dal«
S*gnakjm
Atxaass
Cay/Slai«
Phone
Social Securxy o r H a I D a
□ Check here and complete remainder if this is a joint account with.
Sgnelur«
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