Celebrating Black History Month | Texas Nurse Leaders and Legends

By Dr. Laura Kinncheloe

February has been nationally recognized as Black History Month since 1976. When thinking about the many accomplishments of Black people in Texas, we also must recognize the milestones made in our own profession. As we reflect on Texas nursing history, we want to highlight the unique accomplishments of three exceptional nurse leaders and legends: Dr. Mary Holt Ashley, Shirley Finn, and Dr. Joyce Adams.

The following individuals have been recognized in previous years during the Texas Nurses Foundation’s Leaders and Legends event, held every other year during the annual conference.

DR. MARY HOLT-ASHLEY, PHD, RN, CNAA, BC Dr. Mary Holt Ashley, a native of La Marque, Texas, was the former chief nurse executive of the Harris County Hospital District, a multi-health care system. She retired after 37 years with 30 of those years in administration having served in multiple leadership positions. She was also a part time Associate Professor in the graduate nursing program at Prairie View A&M University. She was past president of the board for The Community Artists Collective and is currently a board member. She earned a Doctorate in Nursing Administration from Texas Woman’s University, being the first person to graduate from the Houston Program.

She is actively involved in professional, community and church organizations. Serving in leadership roles such as President, Vice President or Officer in many major organizations such as Texas Nurses Association, American Nurses Association and Eta Delta Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau at the local, state, and national levels has been a continuous process. She has served as the vice president of the North Forest Independent School District Board of Trustees. Dr. Ashley has received many rewards for leadership and exemplary performance throughout her career such as Health Care Executive of the year, Nurse of the Year, Excellence in Writing Award, one of the ten Women on the Move, recognized for professional achievements by Women of Achievement and other health care organizations. She was honored as an outstanding alumnus of Alvin Junior College in 1999 and Texas Woman’s University in 2000. In 2006 she received Best Nurse Leader of the Year sponsored by Advance Nursing and the Super Achiever Minority award given by the YMCAs of America. In 2007, she received the president’s award from Texas Nurses Association and the “Woman of the Year Award on May 5, 2007 from the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. On Saturday April 5, 2008 she received the Pioneer in the Community Award from the Knights of Peter Claver and Ladies Auxiliary.

In November 2016 she was honored by the Texas Nurses Association for having created the premier Nursing Celebration which is a yearly event that honors outstanding nurses throughout Houston for the last 25 years. She received the Living Legend Award from the Fort Bend County Black Nurses Association April 23, 2016. Dr. Ashley has published articles in several professional journals and is the author of the book “Leaders Get UP Off the Canvas”. She has spoken at seminars locally regional and national on leadership topics and has been the keynote speaker at many schools of nursing capping ceremonies, and community banquets. Dr. Ashley has been the keynote speaker for the Fort Bend County BNA Local NBNA Day for 10 years. Dr. Ashley has also lectured at the NBNA Closing Session, NBNA Founders Leadership Institute, Galveston Black Nurses Association, Metroplex (Dallas) Black Nurses Association and Southeast Texas Black Nurses Association. She serves as a Deacon, Chair of the board of trustees and past president of the church council at Pilgrim Congregational United Church of Christ. Dr. Ashley is an avid Scrabble player, plays bridge and is married to Ellis Charles Ashley, Sr. They have one son, a daughter-in-law and a grandson.

DR. SHIRLEY SHARPE FINN, EDD, RN Texarkana historian Dr. James Presley described his longtime friend and nurse innovator Dr. Shirley Sharpe Finn as “a multifaceted person whose life was characterized by caring for others, persistence in achieving her goals and a never-ending belief in equality for all.” He noted that three words from a popular Civil Rights hymn epitomized his friend’s life—We shall overcome!

Dr. Finn spent her life overcoming adversity and prejudice while persevering in her pursuit of excellence and achieving a number of ‘firsts.’ Earning her bachelor’s degree at the historically black college St. Augustine University in Raleigh North Carolina, Dr. Finn received her nursing accreditation from St. Agnes Hospital School of Nursing, also in North Carolina. She went on to earn a master’s degree from Texas Woman’s University of Denton and a doctorate from Nova Southeastern University in Florida. She has been a lifetime member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority since 1952. Dr. Finn and her husband, Ed, were also engaged in many local activities and, through the civil rights movements, they were instrumental in helping the churches of Texarkana to integrate.

Beyond her professional and civic activities, Dr. Finn also worked to elevate the profession of nursing through her service on the Texas Nurses Association Board of Directors from 1978 to 1982. It was during this time that TNA, with much turmoil amongst its members, decertified as a collective bargaining entity and began to focus on the economics and general welfare of nurses through other workplace advocacy efforts.  Also,
during this period TNA successfully lobbied the 66th Texas Legislature to amend the Nursing Practice Act to give the Board of Nursing, now the BON, injunctive power and regulative authority.

During her tenure with the TNA Board, the Texas Attorney General issued an opinion that limited what duties nurses could perform without “over-the-shoulder” supervision by a physician. The TNA Board quickly called a meeting of the TNA and Texas Medical Association Joint Practice Committee which resulted with TNA urging Texas RNs to be wary of providing services under Standing or Written orders until a solution was defined through the legal process. This led the way for the current delegation rules.

The TNA Board also funded and convened a Blue-Ribbon Commission to seek immediate and long-term solutions to the nursing shortage that was rapidly growing, and they initiated a grant to focus on the critical nurse staffing issue.

Finally, two of the biggest outcomes of the TNA Board during Dr. Finn’s tenure were the financing of a grant to focus on solutions to alcohol and drug abuse amongst nurses, and the hiring of Jim Willmann, JD, as a full-time, in-house General Counsel and Director of Government Affairs.

Dr. Shirley Finn was an innovator, a visionary and the epitome of a nurse leader and a role model for many. She was the First African American female Operating Nurse at Wadley Hospital, the first African American female faculty member of the Evanston School of Nursing affiliated with Northwestern University, and the first African American female Chairman of the Health Occupation Division at Texarkana College, Texarkana, Texas.

DR JOYCE MARIE ADAMS was born December 21, 1943 in Dickinson, Texas as the third daughter of Reverend Clarence L. and Mrs. Effie R. Adams. She lived in Dickinson, Texas until the family relocated to Houston, Texas in the late 1950’s where she attended Booker T. Washington High School and graduated in 1961. She furthered her education at Prairie View A & M University where she received her Bachelor of Science Degree and Texas Woman’s University where she received her Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in Nursing. She was a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. She began her career as a Registered Nurse working in several hospitals and community facilities in the Houston area. Her career as a nursing educator began in 1973 in the San Jacinto College District, Central Campus in Pasadena, Texas as an instructor in the Associate Degree Nursing Department. She retired in 2004 from the South Campus of the San Jacinto College as the Dean of Program Development, Institutional Effectiveness and Health Careers. Governor Rick Perry appointed Dr. Adams to the Texas Board of Nurse Examiners in 2005 and served prior as a member of the Board of Vocational Nurse Examiners before the 78th legislative session where a single governing board was established for nurses.

This is a great month to reflect on those who have made historical impacts on Texas nursing history and acknowledge the genuine dedication of nurse leaders in Texas. These are only three individual stories of numerous outstanding accomplishments in our nursing history. To learn more about Leaders & Legends and attend our next Leaders & Legends Gala this May, visit the registration page here.