Interview with Helen E. Browne, March 27, 1979

Partial Transcript: This is an interview with Ms. Helen E. Browne for the Frontier Nursing Service Oral History Project by Dale Deaton...

Segment Synopsis: Helen Browne discusses Mary Breckinridge's ability to perform her job as director of the Frontier Nursing Service during her final years. She talks about how the nurses learned of the assassination of John F. Kennedy, and discusses Mrs. Breckinridge's reaction to the news. She talks about Mrs. Breckinridge's views on politics.

Keywords: Abilities; Assassinations; Awareness; Committees; Contact; Directors; Franklin D. Roosevelt; Involvement; John F. Kennedy; Mary Breckinridge; News; Radios

Subjects: Breckinridge, Mary, 1881-1965; Frontier Nursing Service, Inc.; Kennedy, John F. (John Fitzgerald), 1917-1963; Medical centers--Administration; Politics and government; Rural conditions

Partial Transcript: Well something else that happened in the sixties, and I don't know if she commented on about it or not, I haven't seen anything written that she did but I wondered what her opinion was on the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

Segment Synopsis: Browne talks about Mary Breckinridge's views on race, as well as the local community's views. She discusses the perceived differences between African Americans and Africans, and discusses visitors to the Frontier Nursing Service.

Keywords: African American cemetery; Africans; Civil Rights Act; George Wooten; Ghana; Hyden Committee; Local people; Mary Breckinridge; Meetings; Nurses; Patients; The South; Wade Morgan; Wendover (Ky.)

Subjects: African Americans--Civil rights--Kentucky; African Americans--Civil rights--Southern States; African Americans--Segregation--Southern States; African Americans--Social conditions.; African Americans--Southern States.; Breckinridge, Mary, 1881-1965; Civil rights movements--Southern States; Frontier Nursing Service, Inc.; Race discrimination.; Race relations--Kentucky; Racism--Kentucky; Regionalism--Southern States; Southern States--Race relations

Partial Transcript: What about the Vietnam War? Did Mrs. Breckinridge comment on that much?

Segment Synopsis: Browne talks about Mary Breckinridge's views on the Vietnam War, especially after the death of her nephew during his service. She speaks briefly about Mrs. Breckinridge's first husband's cause of death.

Keywords: Anna May January; Death; France; Henry Ruffner Morrison; Husbands; Mary Breckinridge; Nephews; Opposition; Reactions; Sedation; Ulcers

Subjects: Breckinridge, Mary, 1881-1965; Religion; Vietnam War, 1961-1975

Partial Transcript: Well then, well, to get one more thing on, on, uh, her feelings about Negroes and Blacks, in, uh, a letter that's at UK now that, uh, Mrs. Prewitt included in a packet that went there...

Segment Synopsis: Browne talks more about Mary Breckinridge's views on race, discussing Breckinridge's relationships with her Black workers. She talks about Breckinridge's reaction when an African American woman was made a member of the Cosmopolitan Club.

Keywords: Cosmopolitan Club; Domestic workers; Grandfathers; Maids; Mammie; Marian Anderson; Relationships; Slaves

Subjects: African Americans--Segregation; African Americans--Social conditions.; African Americans--Southern States.; Breckinridge, Mary, 1881-1965; Integration; Race discrimination.; Race relations--Kentucky; Racism--Kentucky

Partial Transcript: There, there are a couple of things I, I want to ask you about Mr. Thompson, her second husband.

Segment Synopsis: Browne discusses Mary Breckinridge's second husband, Richard Thompson. She discusses his affairs with other women, his wives after his divorce from Mary Breckinridge, and Mrs. Breckinridge's fear that he would come for her.

Keywords: Affairs; Cheating; Children; Clifford Breckinridge Thompson ("Breckie"); Death; Dreams; Emily Saugman; Husbands; Relationships; Remarried; Richard Thompson; Telephone; Wives

Subjects: Breckinridge, Mary, 1881-1965; Marriage

Partial Transcript: Well to get up to, uh, the day before and the day that Mrs. Breckinridge died, uh, who were the people that were present?

Segment Synopsis: Browne describes, in detail, Mary Breckinridge's final days and her death at Wendover. She talks about handling the publicity and the funeral service. She talks about Mrs. Breckinridge's religious beliefs.

Keywords: Agnes Lewis; Associated Press; Betty Lester; Bills; Dr. Mary Pauline Fox; ESP (Extrasensory perception); Faith; Funeral homes; Funeral services; Kate Prewitt; Lexington Herald; Local people; Margaret Gage; Mary Breckinridge; Newspapers; Publicity; Reverend Benton Deaton; Sister Adeline; Spiritualism; Visiting

Subjects: Breckinridge, Mary, 1881-1965; Death.; News agencies.; Nurses; Press.; Religion

Partial Transcript: Well, to, to get in a little bit to what, uh, you were talking about with Dr. Fox with, with the government forms and all that...

Segment Synopsis: Browne discusses the difficulties caused by the introduction of government reimbursement programs like Medicare and Medicaid at the Frontier Nursing Service. She talks about meetings with organizations like the Appalachian Regional Commission and their tendency to ignore the need for funding and training for health manpower. She talks about how the local people raised money for the new FNS hospital.

Keywords: Appalachian Regional Commission; Bricks; Costs; Directors; Donations; Dr. Fox; Executive committees; Fees; Frontier School of Midwifery and Family Nursing; Fundraising; Funds; Government funding; Government programs; Government reimbursement; Health manpower; Hospital committee; Local people; Meetings; Organizing; Social programs; Students

Subjects: Frontier Nursing Service, Inc.; Fund raising; Hospitals--Administration; Medicaid.; Medical care, Cost of; Medical care--Appalachian Region; Medical centers--Administration; Medical centers--Finance; Medicare.; Rural health services

Partial Transcript: Well to get into the, to the, uh, nurse midwifery/family nurse practitioner training here a little bit, was Trudy Isaacs the person most responsible for writing up the, the program for the FNP school?

Segment Synopsis: Browne talks about the need for and the creation of the Frontier School of Midwifery and Family Nursing. She talks about some of the people involved, and the studies conducted regarding the feasibility of the idea. She discusses the difference between healthcare and medical care, and the difference between nurses and doctors.

Keywords: Appalachian Regional Commission; Changes; Doctors; Dr. Beasley; Family nurse practitioners; Feasibility study; Health assessment; Healthcare; Local people; Midwifery; Nurse midwives; Nurses; Nursing; Politicians; Public health; Supporters; Tim Lee Carter; Training; Trudy Isaacs

Subjects: Frontier Nursing Service, Inc.; Frontier School of Midwifery and Family Nursing; Medical care--Appalachian Region; Medical education; Nursing--Study and teaching; Rural health services

Partial Transcript: Well, I think I'm right on this. It wasn't until after the new hospital was built and opened that the FNS yearly budget went over a million dollars, was it?

Segment Synopsis: Browne talks about the role the Board of Governors played within the Frontier Nursing Service, and talks about some of the members. She discusses the three year plan which would reduce the focus on the outpost centers, and discusses her alternative ten year plan which aimed to focus more on the outpost centers.

Keywords: Board of Governors; Budgets; Committees; Dr. Beasley; Finances; Flat Creek (Ky.); Frontier School of Midwifery and Family Nursing; Hospitals; Mary Breckinridge; Meetings; Members; Mrs. Belknap; Outpost clinics; Responsibilities; Ten year plan; Three year plan

Subjects: Breckinridge, Mary, 1881-1965; Frontier Nursing Service, Inc.; Hospitals--Administration; Medical care--Appalachian Region; Medical centers--Administration; Medical centers--Finance; Rural health services

Partial Transcript: W, with the FNS now, one o, one of the really strong points of the organization is the combined nurse midwifery/FNP school.

Segment Synopsis: Browne discusses some of the criticisms made by the local people against the FNS, including their opposition to the Frontier School of Midwifery and Family Nursing bringing in outsiders as students. She discusses the varying levels of community support for each center. She talks about Mary Breckinridge's desire to improve rural medical care. She tells a story about why she did not hire a Japanese American nurse shortly after World War II.

Keywords: Attitudes; Beech Fork Center; Clifford Breckinridge Thompson ("Breckie"); Committee meetings; Committees; Community support; Cooperation; Criticism; Dr. Beasley; Funding; Hyden (Ky.); Japanese Americans; Land ownership; Local people; Mary Breckinridge; Money; Outsiders; World War II

Subjects: Breckinridge, Mary, 1881-1965; Frontier Nursing Service, Inc.; Frontier School of Midwifery and Family Nursing; Medical care--Appalachian Region; Medical centers--Administration; Medical centers--Finance; Race Relations--Kentucky; Rural children; Rural health services

Partial Transcript: With the local women, uh, well when you came here in the late thirties and, and the, the entire early period of the FNS, the women obviously did a great deal of work...

Segment Synopsis: Browne describes the lives of the local women who were served by the Frontier Nursing Service. She talks about their responsibilities and their daily workload. She talks about the attitudes toward sterilization and birth control in the community. She talks about the changes that occurred when women began working outside the home, discusses the education of women, and talks about decision-making in the household. She talks about Mary Breckinridge's opinions on birth control.

Keywords: Birth control; Blood donation; Changes; Child-rearing; Childhood; Children; College; Corn; Decision-making; Dr. Beasley; Dr. John Rock; Duties; Farming; Government programs; Hardworking; Lifestyles; Local people; Mary Breckinridge; Nan Rock; Responsibilities; Role of women; School; Secretary; Sterilization; Trends; Tubal ligation; Vasectomy

Subjects: Appalachian Region--Social life and customs; Breckinridge, Mary, 1881-1965; Country life; Education--Kentucky; Families.; Farm life--Appalachian Region; Food habits--Appalachian Region, Southern; Medical care--Appalachian Region; Pregnancy; Rural children; Rural conditions

Partial Transcript: Well with, with the FNS as an organization, people who have come here as you did and spent most of their working lives with it, there has to be--could you talk a little bit about it?

Segment Synopsis: Browne talks about the romanticism of the horseback days of the Frontier Nursing Service, as well as the challenge it offered the nurses. She talks about their responsibility for complete patient care. She talks about the reduced number of home births.

Keywords: Camaraderie; Challenges; Clinical training; Complete patient care; Freedom; Government reimbursement; Home births; Home visits; Horseback; Improvements; Insurance; Romanticism; Shared experiences

Subjects: Childbirth; Frontier Nursing Service, Inc.; Maternal health services.; Medical care--Appalachian Region; Medical centers--Finance; Medical education; Nurses; Nursing--Study and teaching; Rural conditions; Rural health services

Partial Transcript: Well let's exclude with this, uh, uh, things like new information about diet, uh, home circumstances with the husband and the family and so forth like that...

Segment Synopsis: Browne discusses how new methods of training nurses increased the patients' anxiety. She talks about Mary Breckinridge's charisma and power of persuasion.

Keywords: Apprehension; Attitudes; Changes; Charismatic; Crying; Dramatic; Frontier School of Midwifery and Family Nursing; Listening; Mary Breckinridge; Persuasion; Technology; Theatrical; Training

Subjects: Breckinridge, Mary, 1881-1965; Childbirth; Frontier Nursing Service, Inc.; Maternal health services.; Medical care--Appalachian Region; Medical education; Midwifery--Appalachian Region; Nursing--Study and teaching

Partial Transcript: When you reached age sixty-five you retired as director--

Segment Synopsis: Browne discusses her retirement from the FNS and opinions regarding Dr. Beasley being chosen as her successor. She talks about the claim that the FNS has an anti-male attitude.

Keywords: Abilities; Administrators; Anti-male; Attitudes; Board of Governors; Directors; Doctors; Dr. Beasley; Dr. Fox; Dr. Weiss; Female; Local people; Mandatory retirement age; Men; National chairman; Retirement; Successors; Women

Subjects: Frontier Nursing Service, Inc.; Hospitals--Administration; Medical centers--Administration

Partial Transcript: Is there anything else with Mrs. Breckinridge, the Service, the local people, the nurse midwifery/FN, FNP school, what's going on now, or anything at all that you'd like to comment about that we haven't talked about yet?

Segment Synopsis: Browne discusses Mary Breckinridge's negative opinions of government reimbursement programs. She talks about Mrs. Breckinridge's involvement with the American Association of Nurse Midwives and other national organizations.

Keywords: American Association of Nurse Midwives; Death; Dorothy Buck ("Bucket"); Government aid; Government control; Hazel Corbin; Mary Breckinridge; Preventive care; Reimbursement; World War II

Subjects: Breckinridge, Mary, 1881-1965; Frontier Nursing Service, Inc.; Hospitals--Administration; Medicaid.; Medical care, Cost of; Medical care--Appalachian Region; Medical centers--Administration; Medical centers--Cost of operation; Medicare.; Rural health services

Partial Transcript: --there beyond Hurricane, over the road.

Segment Synopsis: Browne describes several floods that occurred during her time with the Frontier Nursing Service and talks about the damage they caused.

Keywords: Attitudes; Bull Creek (Ky.); Houses; Rafts; Sense of humor

Subjects: Flood damage; Floods--Kentucky; Hyden (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: Th, there were a, a couple more things that happened here during World War II that I'd like to ask you to talk about.

Segment Synopsis: Browne talks about the lack of staff at the FNS during World War II, partly due to many British nurses leaving, but also because of a flu epidemic that occurred around 1941. She tells several personal stories about the nurses and volunteers, her increased duties, and her own illness during that period.

Keywords: Closing; Convalescence; Cooking; Couriers; Daily schedule; Defense plants; Diet; Dogs; Domestic workers; Dorothy Buck ("Bucket"); Dr. Ella Woodyard; Duties; Flu epidemic; Fredericka Holdship; Hyden (Ky.); Influenza; Jean Hollins; Local people; Mary Breckinridge; Nurses aides; Patients; Red Cross training; Responsibilities; Staff; Vanda Summers; Volunteers; Walter Begley; Wendover (Ky.)

Subjects: Breckinridge, Mary, 1881-1965; Food habits--Appalachian Region, Southern; Frontier Nursing Service, Inc.; Health facilities.; Medical care--Appalachian Region; Nurses; Nursing; Rural health services; World War, 1939-1945

Partial Transcript: The work that you did with--while you were at, at post nursing centers and, and going around to the homes to see the patients--

Segment Synopsis: Browne discusses the diet, cooking methods, and the types of food available for the people served by the Frontier Nursing Service. She talks about being offered meals in the homes of her patients. She talks about the difficulty of keeping warm in the winter. She talks about the problems that occurred when outsiders attempted to bring in food and technology the locals were not accustomed to.

Keywords: Cold; Cooking methods; Diet; Dr. Kooser; Fire rings; Grapefruit; Grease; Habits; Helping; Horseback; Hospitality; Local people; Poverty; Premature births; Recommendations; Results; Study; Toilets; Warmth; Winter

Subjects: Appalachian Region--Social life and customs; Country life; Food habits--Appalachian Region, Southern; Rural conditions

Partial Transcript: Could--the government involvement, could we carry that on up into the sixties when the VISTA program workers came into this area?

Segment Synopsis: Browne discusses some of the problems that occurred when VISTA volunteers came to the Leslie County area. She talks about how the volunteers could have done some good but did not listen to the local people. She talks about how doctors conducting a community survey insulted members of the community.

Keywords: Attitudes; Community surveys; Criticism; Government programs; Library; Local people; Martha Cornett; Nurses; Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO); Outsiders; Problems; Reputations; Trouble; Visitors

Subjects: Appalachian Region--Social conditions; Country life; Leslie County (Ky.); Regionalism--Appalachian Region; Volunteers in Service to America

Partial Transcript: When the concept of the family nurse practitioner training school came about here--(coughs)--who were the people involved in, in developing the idea, the concept of the school and, and how did it, did it develop? How it come about?

Segment Synopsis: Browne describes how the idea for the Frontier School of Midwifery and Family Nursing began, and talks about the people involved in its creation. She talks about the effects of the school's association with the University of Kentucky.

Keywords: Appalachian Regional Commission; Betty Bayer; District nursing; Dr. Beasley; Family nurse practitioner training school; Knowledge; Mary Breckinridge; Medicine; Meetings; Nursing; Preparation; Service; Trudy Isaacs; University affiliation

Subjects: Frontier Nursing Service, Inc.; Frontier School of Midwifery and Family Nursing; Medical care--Appalachian Region; Medical education; Nursing--Study and teaching; Rural health services; University of Kentucky. College of Nursing

Partial Transcript: One final question. At any time that you were here and associated with Mrs. Breckinridge did you ever know anyone to ask her to run for the Senate?

Segment Synopsis: Browne discusses Mary Breckinridge's views on the FNS nurses' participation in politics. She tells a story about upsetting Mary Breckinridge and Breckinridge deciding to ignore her. She speaks briefly about Mrs. Breckinridge taking care of a woman who had had a miscarriage, who was the woman her second husband had had an affair with.

Keywords: "Whispering campaigns"; Affairs; Agnes Lewis; Apology; Disagreements; Eureka Springs (Ark.); Husbands; Ignored; Influence; Jean Hollins; Miscarriages; Nurses; Richard Thompson; Senate; Swearing

Subjects: Breckinridge, Mary, 1881-1965; Frontier Nursing Service, Inc.; Politics and government; Voting

Partial Transcript: One final thing. On the, uh--well, the last few years that the old hospital was in operation, there was--(coughs)--no reimbursement--

Segment Synopsis: Browne discusses the lawsuit the FNS was involved with when they were denied reimbursement from the government based on the conditions of their hospital. She talks about testifying at the appeal, specifically regarding the distance many patients of the FNS had to travel to receive medical care. The interview is concluded.

Keywords: Appeals; Appointments; Distance; Government reimbursement; Hazard (Ky.); Hearings; Hyden (Ky.); Inspections; Judges; Lawsuits; Patients; Social Security; Transportation

Subjects: Frontier Nursing Service, Inc.; Hospitals--Administration; Medicaid.; Medical care--Appalachian Region; Medical centers--Administration; Medical centers--Finance; Medicare.; Rural conditions; Rural health services; Rural roads; United States--Trials, litigation, etc.