Celebrating Women’s History Month: The Red Cross for the Every Woman

by Lilly Watson, Communications Manager, American Red Cross

During WWI & II, the Red Cross featured
women in their iconic advertising posters.

During Women’s History Month, it is typical to think about famous women who will go down in history, and we certainly have no shortage of them here at the Red Cross. Our founder, Clara Barton, was a feminist far ahead of her time. Jane Delano was the founder of the American Red Cross Nursing Service and pioneered the modern nursing profession. Here in Texas, activist and First Lady of the United States, Lady Bird Johnson, chaired the Senate Wives Red Cross Unit and wrapped bandages and sewed items for hospitalized veterans. She earned the Humanitarian of the Year Award from the American Red Cross Central Texas Chapter in 2007. 

Women have served for the
Red Cross long before society
deemed it appropriate. 

The true testament to the Red Cross’ place in women’s history, though, is how it allows every woman to find a place to serve and find personal purpose and fulfillment, and has done so long before society deemed it appropriate. Before women had the right to vote, Clara Barton brought them on the battlefield during the Civil War. 

When American men went off to fight in World War I and II, the American Red Cross recognized the women behind the effort by making them the forefront of its advertising campaigns. These iconic posters are still used today to show the Red Cross’ history of inclusion and support to those in crisis. Without them, we might easily forget the great contributions of women to the war effort during a time that they were not able to deploy to battle themselves. 

Women serving food and drinks
to the troops from the Red Cross
Clubmobile during WWII.

During World War II, women served through the Red Cross at home and abroad through the Red Cross Club, working in hospitals and traveling in trucks to serve cookies and donuts to those fighting in battle. 

Today, the Red Cross continues to be a place where people of all backgrounds can come together to serve those facing disaster, in our country and abroad. We’re proud to commemorate the women who have proudly served others through the American Red Cross for more than a century during Women’s History Month!

To start your story as a Red Cross volunteer, visit redcross.org.

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Celebrating Women's History Month: Jane Delano

Written by Catherine Carlton l Volunteer Contributor

The image of the Red Cross nurse has been part of our Red Cross brand, imagery and history for more than 100 years. That image, along with the inclusion of nurses considered as medical professionals, is with us today thanks to Jane Delano.

As part of Women's History Month, we are celebrating Jane (1862 - 1919) who founded the American Red Cross Nursing Service.

After a brief period of teaching, Delano enrolled in the Bellevue Training School for Nurses and graduated in 1886. Delano's first opportunity to perform public service nursing came in 1888, when she served as superintendent of a Jacksonville, Florida hospital treating victims of a yellow fever epidemic. Her superior executive and administrative skills quickly became evident, as she developed innovative nursing procedures for the patients under her care. Jacksonville is also where she realized the great need for providing health education and social services to rural communities.
From there Jane's career with the Red Cross continued to expand: During the Spanish-American War in 1898, she began her association with the American Red Cross by becoming a member of the New York Chapter where she served as the secretary for the enrollment of nurses. She worked hard to dignify the position of nurses in the medical community. Up to that time, nurses were not recognized as full members of the medical profession.

A woman of incredible energy, Delano served as superintendent of the Army Nurse Corps from 1909-1912 and chairman of the new National Committee on Red Cross Nursing Service and created the plan for the first volunteer nursing unit of the American Red Cross. She also served as president of the American Nurses' Association and chairman of the board of directors of the American Journal of Nursing. In 1912, Delano resigned from the Army Nurse Corps to volunteer full time with the Red Cross, focusing on recruiting more nurses.
Henry P. Davison, a leader of the American Red Cross during World War I, praised the contributions Jane Delano made to the nursing profession at the time of her death: "The value of what she did for our cause can never be measured. Appreciation of her individual services will grow as the knowledge of the work done by nurses during the world war becomes better known to the world. She was beloved by all who knew her. I am sure it can be said of Miss Delano that her thought from beginning to end was never for herself, but for the service of humanity."

To learn more about Red Cross nursing, visit redcross.org.

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Women in Red Cross History: Lady Bird Johnson

Women's History Month: Celebrating Lady Bird Johnson

by Catherine Carlton, American Red Cross Volunteer

Lady Bird Johnson is a celebrated female leader in Texas and in the Red Cross. Today we celebrate her unique Red Cross accomplishments as part of Women's History Month.

Among her many other duties and accomplishments, Lady Bird served as chairman of the Senate Wives Red Cross Unit, a group founded in 1917 to aid with World War I support. The Senate Wives prepared comfort items for hospitals and performed other production tasks at their monthly meetings at the capital.

A hands-on volunteer, Lady Bird Johnson regularly rolled bandages, knitted and sewed items for hospitalized veterans, organized blood drives and visited the wounded as a Red Cross worker.

During his time as the Vice President of the United States, Lyndon Johnson presented an American Red Cross certificate of appreciation to his wife, Lady Bird, for her 14 years of service to the movement. Lady Bird also received the Humanitarian of the Year award in 2007 from the American Red Cross of Central Texas.

The Lady Bird League of the Clara Barton Society giving group is named after Mrs. Johnson and is a group for Red Cross donors who make gifts of $5,000 to $9,999 to honor her service.

You can learn more at http://www.redcross.org/museum/history/ladybirdjohnson.html




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