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.