History of CLN

CLN Origin:
On December 10, 1952, a meeting to organize the CT League for Nursing was held at the Hartford Hospital. Present were members and friends representing the Connecticut League for Nursing Education, Board Members’ Organization, hospital administrators, public health nursing, industrial nursing, private duty nursing and staff nurses from hospitals. At this meeting a Constitution and By-Laws were adopted, and an initial board of directors elected.

December 30, 1952 saw the board meet for the first time, to inaugurate the activities of CLN. Monthly thereafter to July 1, 1953, the board of directors met.

On March 25, 1953, Steering Committees were elected, as follows: 

Division of Nursing Services: Alba Mastorgi, RN, Chairman, 
Anna Gring, RN, Doris Webber, RN, Jessie Parkinson, MD, Howard Fox

​Division of Nursing Education: Mrs. Louise Cady, RN, Chairman, 
Eloise Shields, RN, Josephine Dolan, RN, Ira Hiscock, Mrs. M. S. Little

Both Steering Committees had been hard at work analyzing needs and interests in their respective divisions, and making plans for programs during the coming year.

CLN co-sponsored an Institute on Long-Term Illness, held in New Haven, April 13 & 14, 1953.

Official headquarters office was opened in May 1953 at 252 Asylum Street, Room 203, Hartford, CT, with Miss Helen Moss as part-time secretary.
​
June 22-26, 1953, the first National Convention of NLN was held at Cleveland, OH, with over 50 representatives from Connecticut present.

Summary:
In June 2053 when a report went to press, the CLN had 375 individual members, of whom 338 are nurses and 37 friends of nursing. There are also 21 Agency and 4 Allied Agency members.

Financially the League has weathered its first year “out of the red”. In addition to income from dues the League started business with assets of $1,241.22 transferred from CLNE plus a contribution of $200 from the BMO.

The first annual meeting of the CLN was held on October 7, 1953 at the Hotel Bond, Hartford, CT. Miss Ruth Sleeper, President of the NLN, will speak on “Interpretation of the Services of NLN.”

Where in the past they were concerned with various areas of specialization in nursing, with each group striving to improve its own program and status, through the League they had the opportunity to broaden their horizons, to see beyond the needs of each special interest to the point where all join forces to improve total nursing care.

The interdependence of nursing education and service, of public health, industrial, school and other specialties, made an organization such as the League a necessity. They could now go forward together, rather than separately, with each group sharing its successes as well as its problems with the others. In this unity of purpose the future of nursing is assured.

The year 1953 will be remembered as one during which the CLN established its basic organizational structure, set up its office, elected its initial steering committees to investigate needs and interests of members, and set a firm foundation for the future.

To all the nurses and friends of nursing who have demonstrated their faith in the success of the CLN and NLN by their “charter membership” during this critical year, and by their generous gifts of time, thought and effort, they shared a hearty “thank you”. They were convinced that this confidence would be repaid in the form of constructive, challenging programs in the years ahead, in improved nursing care to all our citizens, and in better understanding of the relationship between nursing education and all aspects of nursing service.
​

Connecticut League for Nursing.  1954

​Officers:
President: Miss Ruth M. Olsen, 138 Lincoln Street, New Britain, CT
1st Vice-President: Sr. St. Catherine Deschenes, St. Mary’s Hospital, Waterbury, CT
2nd Vice-President: Mrs. Charles E. Rolfe, 115 Middle Road, Hamden, CT
Secretary Miss Adelma E. Meeth, New Britain General Hospital, New Britain, CT
Treasurer Miss Marion M. Redmond, 161 Church Street, New Haven, CT

Board of Directors:
​
Nurse Members
Miss Dorothy Bowen, Waterbury Hospital, Waterbury, CT
Sr. M. Madeleine Forsier, St. Francis Hospital, Hartford, CT
Mrs. Norm C. Lundquist, 256 Capitol Avenue, Meriden, CT
Miss Ann E. Ryle, 330 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT
Miss Anne Schue, 193 East Main Street, Middletown, CT
Miss Carolyn Widmer, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT
​
Non-Nurse Members
William C. Carey, MD, 136 Eaton Avenue, Meriden, CT
Mrs. Lydia Hewes, 40 High Street, Farmington, CT
Mr. Hiram Sibley, 160 St. Ronan Street, New Haven, CT

CLN President's Award

The Board of Directors established this annual award in 1991 to recognize a volunteer, or group of volunteers, who has contributed significantly through volunteer time and commitment to furthering the mission and goals of the organization.  The current president of CLN makes this selection.

1991     Diantha McMorrow
1992     Anne Barker                          
1993     Gina Piscitelli
1994     Barbara Hoak     
1995     Mary Hickey       
1996     Renee Ryan
1997     Shirley Langford 
1998     Susan McGinnis
1999     Ann Anthony 
2000     Jane Murdock 
2001     Jane Murdock 
2002     Diana Ballard 
2003     Gerri Slack 
2004     Janet Rader ​

​2006     Linda Perfetto
2007     Judith Catalano 
2008     Olive Santavenere         
2009     Jeanne Thomas             
2010     CLN’s On-Line Faculty
2011     Susan Deane
2012     Sheila Solernou
2013     Janice Watts
2014     John McNulty
2015     Susan Eichar
2016     Susan Kosman
2017     Lisa Sundean
2018     Meredith Wallace Kazer
2019     Cheryl Ann Green
2021     Audrey Beauvais