The National League for Nursing (NLN) formed in 1952 by combining organizations nationwide into local and state level representative branches of the new NLN. The next year, the Texas League for Nursing Education and Texas Organization of Public Health Nursing joined together as the Texas branch of the NLN, known as the Texas League for Nursing, Inc. (TLN). The goals of both the state and national leagues include improving nursing education and scholarship through evidence-based research and teaching practices, developing a diverse workforce within the profession and leadership within the organization, promoting the nurse educator in public policy, and providing a dialogue within the education community and with other organizations.
Headquartered in Austin, the TLN was initially composed of five officers and four members of the board of directors, which increased by 1976 to seven officers, four directors-at-large, and a chairman from each local unit. In 1958, Edith Ayers became the first full-time employee, serving as executive secretary for over 25 years. Membership included professional and vocational nurses, non-nurse members, new graduates, and retirees, with a focus in hospital, industrial, and public health nurses and nurse educators. Although the organization started allowing more varied professionals, the membership declined from 1over 1,500 in the 1950s to only 550 in 1993. The TLN consists of numerous committees, including nominations, finance, membership, awards, state program, convention, public affairs, public relations, and others. Furthermore, the organization is broken into local area leagues with chairmen in order to fulfill the needs of individual Texas communities.
From 1981 to 1982, Dr. Gail C. Davis served as the TLN’s president. She graduated
with an Ed.D. in Counseling & Guidance from Texas Tech University and taught at
the Harris College of Nursing of the Texas Christian University in Fort Worth before
joining the at Texas Woman’s University College of Nursing in Denton, focusing on
research and scholarship related to aging, chronic conditions, and pain management.
As of August 2010, Davis serves on the Advisory Board for American Chronic Pain
Association and on the Editorial Board of
Sources:
Texas League for Nursing, Inc., Records, 1972-1983, 1993, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, University of Texas at Austin.
American Chronic Pain Association, "Advisory Board,"
Texas Woman’s University College of Nursing, "Denton Faculty,"
The Texas League for Nursing, Inc. (TLN), Records, 1972-1983, 1993, contain correspondence, memos, notes, newsletters, meeting minutes, and printed material, illustrating the TLN’s operations during the presidency of Gail C. Davis. The records from 1972 to 1983 document the League’s board meetings, committee activities, finances, membership, and special projects, such as seminars on nursing law and other workshops, and pertain to the TLN’s relationship with the National League for Nursing (NLN), the Board of Nurse Examiners, the Texas Hospital Association, and other related organizations. The materials from 1993 include programs for the Third Biennial Conference and 40th Anniversary of the TLN as well as a memo from the NLN about the emergency board meeting regarding the controversy over the Community Health Accreditation Program’s financial mismanagement.
The records remain in the original order and division of Dr. Gail C. Davis.
This collection is open for research use.
Texas League for Nursing, Inc., Records, 1972-1983, 1993, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin.
Forms part of the
This collection was processed by Laurel Rozema, August 2010