Providence Archives Newsletter
Winter 2008/2009, Vol. 16, No. 1
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New Accession This past August, part of the archives staff made a trip down to Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, California, to assess and pack a large transfer of materials from the former St. Joseph Medical Center Historical Society. The Historical Society was formed in 1995 under the auspices of the hospital’s Foundation and was directed by Jane Rockford who was a member of the Foundation’s Board of Trustees at the time. As part of its mission to preserve and share the history of the Medical Center community, the Historical Society collected items relating to the history of the hospital including paper records, medical books, audiovisual materials, and artifacts. The main outreach of the Historical Society was done through historical displays throughout the hospital. The accession contains nearly 200 artifacts, 7 cubic feet of paper records, and 8 cubic feet of photographs and other visual materials. Most of the artifacts were donated by retired physicians and include a wide array of medical equipment from various departments in the hospital including the Operating Room, Maternity, and Orthopedic Surgery. Once these materials are fully incorporated into the existing collection for St. Joseph Medical Center, the collection will boast the most complete photograph collection and largest assemblage of medical artifacts in the archives. Come to the Archives at St. Joseph Residence in West Seattle to view selected artifacts on display through January! -Emily Hughes Dominick
|  |  |  |  | | Above are items that belonged to Dr. T. McHugh. From top: Doctor's bag; reflex hammer; stethoscope; and otoscope with specula. |
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back to top What’s New in the Archives? "Bell and the River" Index Published Online Anyone who refers to the Bell and the River, the 1956 biography of Mother Joseph, for reference to the early sisters and the development of ministries in the West knows that it can be difficult to find information and stories because there is no index. In an effort to make access to the contents easier, this index has been compiled and is accessible through the Archives website. Indexing terms were selected to reflect common terminology; however, no attempt was made to create subject headings to reflect current concepts of social justice, core values, or other ideas embraced by Providence Health & Services. The document also includes usage rules, corrections to historically inaccurate information in the text, and links to related terms in the index. We hope this Index will be useful to anyone exploring the early history of the Sisters of Providence in the West. Please let us know if you have any questions or comments. Glossary of Sisters of Providence Terms Whether you are learning the history of the Sisters of Providence and Providence Health & Services or just not clear on the meaning of a word you read in one of our histories, this Glossary of Sisters of Providence Terms is for you. The glossary includes terms specific to the Sisters of Providence, as well as some used by religious communities and the Catholic Church in general. Some terms are illustrated with images from the Archives collection, just click on the camera icon attached to a definition.
back to top  | Reader’s Corner Living the Legacy: A History of Sacred Heart School of Nursing, by Marilyn Thordarson with Charlene Clark, Betty Harrington, Virginia Hutton and Pam White, S.P., Lawton Printing Company, Spokane, Wash., 2008. Recently published through the Sacred Heart School of Nursing’s Alumni Association, Living the Legacy chronicles the school’s history from its foundation in 1898 until its closure in 1973. This 256-page hardcover book is filled with over 200 images. Living the Legacy is informative reading for anyone interested in the development of nursing education because the school’s history is set within the context of changes in nursing education theory and practice that impacted the growth and eventual closure of hospital-based schools of nursing. Proceeds will be used to establish an endowed nursing scholarship fund with the Sacred Heart Hospital Medical Center Foundation. Price: $40 plus $6 S/H. Contact: servinp@shmc.org. |
back to top | Picturing Providence | by Peter F. Schmid, CA
Visual Resources Archivist |
| A column highlighting archival photographs and other resources that provide visual documentation of the Sisters of Providence and sponsored institutions. Peter selects notable images from the collection of over 50,000 photographs. He can be reached at 206-923-4012 or by e-mail. |
In case you missed it, October was American Archives Month, a national celebration of the importance of archives in preserving and providing access to the raw materials of history. The Archives Round Table of Metropolitan New York organized the first celebration as Archives Week in 1989, and the idea spread throughout New York and then to other states, professional archives associations and conferences. | 
Relaxing in the convent community room at Sacred Heart School in Tacoma, 1965. Sisters are, L-R: Judith Marie Waitman, Treasurer; Mary Cyrilla Zillig, Administrative Assistant; Naomi Hurd, Superior; Shirley McHorney, Councilor; Lynn Chappell, "Caritas" Reporter; Magdalen Gaffke, Assistant Superior and Annalist. (Image #149.B1.5) |
The designation of an entire month for the celebration of archives began at least as early as 2004 with the Society of Rocky Mountain Archivists, and many states added the designation in 2007. Posters, open-houses, and informational sessions promote awareness of archival resources. Here in Washington, the 2008 effort was spearheaded by Washington State Archives with the theme “At Home in the Archives.” The theme is intended to welcome the public to explore archives and learn more about what we do and why we do it. Washington State Archives asked repositories throughout the state to submit photographs related to the theme for inclusion in a poster for the event, and we at Providence Archives were pleased to have one of our images selected! I submitted nearly 30 photographs from our collections, all illustrating different kinds of “home”: orphans at St. Thomas Home in Great Falls; boarding students at Providence schools; residents in assisted living at Providence Mount St. Vincent; patients in Providence hospitals during the holidays; nursing students in their temporary dormitory homes; and, of course, sisters at their convents. The Providence image selected for the poster is printed above. It was interesting to see how each archival repository drew on its own collections to illustrate the theme. You can view the poster on the Archives Month website. Click on “Featured Photographs” to see some of the other submissions, including some from Providence Archives, which were not selected for the poster. The poster will be on display in the archives at St. Joseph Residence in West Seattle through the end of the year.
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Change
Concealed in small variations
hastening onward despite all
attempts to stop them
(not waiting for acceptance,
granting no respite to laggards,
expecting adaptation) tomorrows
suddenly become todays. —Margarita Acosta, S.P., 1993
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Sr. Margarita (1942-1995) was a hospital administrator, teacher and writer. A collection of her poetry is kept in the Archives. |
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 | Erratum: Sesquicentennial Timeline There is a correction for March 19, 1859 on the historical timeline printed for the sesquicentennial celebration in 2006. The timeline notes that on this date the Sisters of Charity of the House of Providence in Washington Territory were incorporated. Actually, the act to incorporate was passed by the territorial legislature on January 28, 1859. On March 19, the Sisters of Providence entrusted the care of the corporation and all its works to the spiritual patronage of St. Joseph. |
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During the coming year let us trust in Divine Providence and lay all our cares, our desires and our undertakings in the loving Heart of God. We need the assistance of this all-powerful Father for the accomplishment of our works. His are all the riches of the earth; His, all the gifts of heart and mind. He will give, and give abundantly, if only we trust in Him. At our Provincial House, which shelters a number of His dear poor, we have had repeated proofs of God’s loving care: not that we receive large gifts and legacies, but funds are always sure to come when an obligation is to be met.
–Sister Vincent Ferrier
Provincial Superior Circular letter, January 13, 1861
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