Lecture, May 4: The Pioneering Nurses of the Spanish-American War

4/21/2025

On Sunday, May 4, the Arlington National Cemetery History Office and Education team will present a lecture at the National Museum of Health and Medicine (NMHM) on the pioneering nurses of the Spanish-American War. This special event is in honor of National Nurses Month commemorated each May. Presenters include Steve Carney, Allison Finkelstein and Emily Rheault.

The Spanish-American War (1898) was the first U.S. war in which nurses comprised a dedicated, quasi-military unit, and the first time in U.S. history that nurses were fully accepted in military hospitals. Arlington National Cemetery has more Spanish-American War memorials than any other single site in the United States, including one dedicated to the contract nurses. Join us for a discussion about the role of nurses during the Spanish-American War and their lasting impact on military medicine.

This lecture is free to attend and will be livestreamed on the NMHM’s Facebook page. No registration is required. 


Event Details

  Sunday, May 4, 2 p.m.–3 p.m.

  National Museum of Health and Medicine (2500 Linden Lane, Silver Spring, Maryland, 20910) and online: @MedicalMuseum on Facebook

  Click here for more information