The history of the school begins in 1875, when six Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration traveled from Germany to the United States to provide health services and train nurses. Once they realized there was a significant need for nurses, they took training the nursing workforce into their own hands. However, the brick structure on Tippecanoe Street that came to house St. Elizabeth School of Nursing was not constructed until 1922.
After moving into the building, the school of nursing continued to educate Sisters of St. Francis exclusively until 1937, then they decided to admit lay people to meet the growing demand for educated nurses. From the building’s construction through the late 1980s, nursing students were housed on the third and fourth floors, creating their own close-knit communities to support each other through the trials and triumphs of nursing school.
“Having that many sisters and being that close to each other was really special,” said Mary Vandervolgen-Goldman, a 1963 graduate. “When one of us was in trouble, we were all in trouble. When one of us was happy, we were all happy. We really cared for each other.”
Serving as a humble abode for St. Elizabeth School of Nursing for 95 years, the red, stone building undoubtedly served as a physical symbol of history and countless memories of students and faculty. Talking to anyone who had passed through the front doors over the years gives insight into how much everything changed, yet how the school’s values and commitment to education remained constant.
Henrietta Ket, who graduated in 1954, reflected fondly on her experiences as a student and educator at St. Elizabeth School of Nursing. However, she also acknowledged the strictness of the school’s routines.
“Our regular work schedule was 7-11 in the morning and 3-7 at night with classes in between,” Ket said. “We also had to be in bed by 10 o’clock. The house mother came around at night, opened our doors and shined a flashlight on us to make sure we were there. There was no horsing around.”
More than 20 years after Ket graduated, the sternness seemed to loosen while the camaraderie continued to grow. Ann Minnicus, a 1977 graduate, explored some more light-hearted memories from nursing school.
“We did some things we probably shouldn’t have done,” Minnicus said. “You know, we played hockey in the hallway. We carried a Christmas tree off the Harrison Bridge all the way back to the school just because we wanted to have one. We had a lot of great times in that building.”
It was not just the students who recognized how special the building was. Dr. Michelle Gerrety, the school’s current director, began teaching mental health and communication courses at St. Elizabeth School of Nursing in 1999. While she admitted the old building’s pitfalls, she revered the rich history
it contained.
Proven History
1875
Six Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration came from Germany to Lafayette and established St. Elizabeth Hospital.
1897
The Sisters of St. Francis opened St. Elizabeth Hospital Training School for Nurses to train members of their order.
1900
The first graduation was held and six Sisters received their diplomas from the St. Elizabeth Hospital Training School for Nurses.
1919
St. Elizabeth School of Nursing (SON) was recognized by the Indiana State Board of Nurses Registration and Nursing Education as an accredited School of Nursing.
1937
The community’s need for nurses had grown so great that the school began admitting lay students.
1952
St. Elizabeth SON attained national accreditation through ACEN and has consistently maintained it through present day.
1998
St. Elizabeth Medical Center and Lafayette Home Hospital merged to form Greater Lafayette Health Services, Inc. where the School of Nursing became a department of Greater Lafayette Health Services, Inc., however retains the name of St. Elizabeth of School of Nursing.
2004
St. Elizabeth SON and Saint Joseph’s College established the Cooperative Nursing Program (CNP) as a seamless integrated Diploma-Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) curriculum.
2017
St. Elizabeth SON partnered with University of Saint Francis to offer a seamless Diploma-Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Program and Cooperative Nursing Program (CNP) and students started classes in the newly-renovated Franciscan Education Center.
“I enjoyed teaching in the auditorium,” Dr. Gerrety said. “I knew that a lot of dances and ceremonies had occurred in that portion of the building. The seal was just emblazoned in marble in the center of that room, and it really did bring to the forefront the history of the program. If those walls could talk, I’m sure they could spin a few tales.”
However, serving its students for almost a century also had its price. Over time, the building required increasing updates and repairs that became costly and time-consuming. For many years, faculty made use of what they had, lecturing over roaring window air-conditioning units, tripping over extension cords and teaching in environments that were less than ideal to learning. The well-loved building was showing its age.
In 2017, St. Elizabeth School of Nursing moved across the street to the Franciscan Education Center on Franciscan Health Lafayette’s Central campus. The newly renovated building offers an abundance of opportunities to students and faculty through an intentionally designed space and enhanced technology. Even with a new location, proven programming and continuing Christ’s healing ministry remains at the center of everything.
With a new home found for St. Elizabeth School of Nursing, the question became what to do with the old one. While many ideas were explored regarding how to repurpose the structure, it was decided that the extensive resources necessary to update and sustain the building could be better allocated toward fulfilling the Franciscan Health mission elsewhere.
The building opened its doors a final time for alumni to embark on a “Last Look Tour,” allowing them time to reflect and reminisce. Talk of demolition brought about many conflicting feelings from alumni and faculty alike, including a longing for the wonderful experiences shared in the building, a want to preserve the history of the school and a desire to move on to something more advanced. Ultimately, the building served its purpose. It was time to say goodbye, and in December of 2019, the building was demolished.
If those walls could talk, I’m sure they could spin a few tales.
While the site that once encouraged the dreams of so many students sits barren, there are plans in place to honor its legacy. Terry Wilson, President and CEO of Franciscan Health Western Indiana, disclosed plans to repurpose the space.
“We’re going to develop a healing garden that is a variety of things,” Wilson said. “It’s a tribute to all the care that has been provided on that site for so long. It will conjure memories of the history there. One of the fixed pieces in that garden will be a statue of Blessed Mother Maria Theresa, the foundress of our Sisters’ community in Germany some 150 years ago. It will be a quiet and, we hope, spiritual place on campus for reflection.”
As for the future of St. Elizabeth School of Nursing, this new building seems to be only the beginning of its growth. No longer bound by bricks, the school will continue its tradition of teaching and training exceptional nurses thanks to access to even better resources.
“Our goal is to continue to grow our program and produce nurses who live out our mission,” Dr. Gerrety said. “The more we can provide our students with clinical experiences that allow them to practice their clinical judgment and apply their learning to patient situations, the stronger our grads will be.”
As seen in the The Lamp spring 2020 issue
