Name Mary Woody | ||
Born March 31, 1926 LaFayette, Alabama Died April 28, 2010(2010-04-28) (aged 84)
Decatur, Georgia Occupation Nursing professor and administrator | ||
Mary Florence Woody (March 31, 1926 - April 28, 2010) was an American nurse, hospital administrator and university professor. She worked as a director of nursing at two large hospitals and was a nursing school dean or associate dean at Auburn University and Emory University. She was designated a Living Legend of the American Academy of Nursing.
Biography
Woody was born in LaFayette, Alabama. She had with five older siblings. Woody completed Cadet Nurse Corps training at Charity Hospital in New Orleans. She earned an undergraduate degree and a master's degree from Columbia University. Woody was a nurse at hospitals in Montgomery, Alabama and New York City before moving to Emory University Hospital.
At Grady Memorial Hospital, Woody spent several years as the director of nursing. In 1979, she became the founding nursing school dean at Auburn University. From 1984 to 1993, she came back to Emory University Hospital as director of nursing and she was the associate dean of the university's nursing school.
Woody advocated for the integration of professional associations in nursing. She led the integration of the American Nurses Association.
In 1997, the American Academy of Nursing recognized Woody as a Living Legend, its highest honor. She was inducted into the Alabama Healthcare Hall of Fame in 2008. Woody died in 2010 of congestive heart failure at an assisted living facility in Decatur, Georgia.