Daphine DeLuxe Doster was a Public Health Nurse and first Acting Dean of the University of Arkansas School of Nursing. She was born in Monroe in Union County in North Carolina on October 7, 1906. The eldest of five children, she remained in Monroe until she entered the University of North Carolina College for Women at Greensboro, where she earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Music.
Upon Graduation, she went to the western part of the state and taught there until 1933. Then she entered the John Hopkins School of Nursing at Baltimore.
During World War II, Miss Doster joined the Army Nurse Corps and became a Surgical Nurse and Operating Room Supervisor. Her service included 34 months of oversea duty in New Zealand, Fiji Islands and India.
In 1947, Miss Doster entered the University of Minnesota and earned a Masters Degree in Public Health. She was employed by the U.S. Public Health Service at Washington D.C., and almost immediately put “on loan” to the Arkansas State Health Department, as Educational Director of Public Health Nursing (July 1947 – Nov. 1949). Eventually, Miss Doster was selected to help establish the University of Arkansas School of Nursing and was its first Acting Dean (Oct. 1952 – Nov. 1953). She was succeeded by Miss Julia Miller, who was appointed Dean on September 1, 1953. The first Freshman Class of 14 nursing students began their training on September 17, 1953.
Miss Doster is now retired and living in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Note: For additional and related information, refer to Arkansas Oral History RT37.D6 and Miss Doster’s book Nursing in Arkansas: An Assessment for Planning (Ark RT5.A7D5)
Arrangement: The collection is chronologically arranged in five files
Tracings: Caldwell, Dr. John T.; John T. Caldwell, Dr.; Leone, Lucille Petry; Lucille Petry Leone; Longstreath, Zenola; Miller, Julia; Nursing; Colleges and Universities – University of Arkansas
Photo Tracings: Doster, Daphine D.
Box 1
File 1 – Annual Reports, Univ. of Ark. School of Medicine (Jul. 1, 1951-Jun. 30, 1952) University of Arkansas School of Nursing (Oct. 27, 1952-Sept. 15, 1953)
File 2 – Reports of consultation visits to University of Arkansas to discuss plans for School of Nursing
File 3 – National Commission for the Study of Nursing and Nursing Education: Report (1970), Newsletters (Feb. 19, 1971-May 1972), and Dr. Jerome Lysaught Lecture (Mar. 22,1972)
File 4 – Personal Correspondence, papers, photos, and memorabilia (Dec. 3, 1952-Jan. 13,1954)
File 5 – University of Arkansas Booklets and Pamphlets (undated)
End of Box 1
End of Collection