Ruth Alice Erickson

Infobox Military Person
name=Ruth Alice Erickson
born= birth year and age|1913
died=
placeofbirth= Virginia, Minnesota
placeofdeath=


caption=
nickname=
allegiance= United States of America
branch= United States Navy
serviceyears= 1936–1966
rank=Captain
commands=Director of the United States Navy Nurse Corps, 1962-1966
unit=
battles=World War II Korean War
awards=Navy Unit Commendation,American Defense Service Medal with one star,Navy Occupation Service Medal,National Defense Service Medal,Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal
laterwork=
portrayedby=
Captain Ruth Alice Erickson was the Director of the United States Navy Nurse Corps, serving in that position from 1962 to 1966. As a LT in the Navy Nurse Corps, she witnessed the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on 7 December, 1941 [http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq66-3b.htm Oral History of LT Ruth Erickson] ] .

Early life

Ruth Alice Erickson was born in 1913 in Virginia, Minnesota . She graduated from Methodist Kahler School of Nursing in Rochester, Minnesota in 1934 cite book |last=Godson |first=Susan H. |title=Serving Proudly: A history of Women in the U.S. Navy |date=2001 |publisher=Naval Institute Press |location=Annapolis, MD |isbn=1-55750-317-6 ] .

Navy Nurse Corps career

Ruth Erickson joined the Navy Nurse Corps in July 1936. During her career she served on the hospital ship Relief, witnessed the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, and served on hospital ship Haven while bringing home prisoners of war from Japan in 1945. Erickson moved through positions of increasing responsibility, including nursing supervisor, senior nurse and assistant chief of nursing services at various naval hospitals, Nurse Corps representative in the 12th Naval District and Military Sea Transport Service in Seattle, WA, and personnel officer for the Nurse Corps at the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery in Washington, D. C. She served as chief nurse at three major naval hospitals and, on 30 April 1962 became the Director of the Navy Nurse Corps.

Captain Erickson retired from the U. S. Navy on 1 May 1966 cite book |last=Sterner |first=Doris M. |title=In and Out of Harm's Way: A history of the U.S. Navy Nurse Corps |date=1997 |publisher=Peanut Butter Publishing |location=Seattle, WA |isbn=0897167066 ] .

Education

Erickson earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing Education from Indiana University in 1953. .

ee also

References

Further reading

*cite book |last=Sterner |first=Doris M. |title=In and Out of Harm's Way: A history of the U.S. Navy Nurse Corps |date=1997 |publisher=Peanut Butter Publishing |location=Seattle, WA |isbn=0897167066
*cite book |last=Ebbert |first=Jean and Marie-Beth Hall|title=Crossed Currents: Navy Women from WWI to Tailhook [Revised] |date=1999 |publisher=Brassey's |location=Washington, D.C. |isbn=978-1574881936
*cite book |last=Godson |first=Susan H. |title=Serving Proudly: A history of Women in the U.S. Navy |date=2001 |publisher=Naval Institute Press |location=Annapolis, MD |isbn=1-55750-317-6

External links

* [http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/prs-tpic/nurses/nurses.htm Nurses and the U.S. Navy -- Overview and Special Image Selection] Naval Historical Center
* [http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq66-3b.htm Oral History of LT Ruth Erickson] about the attack on Pearl Harbor