(1845-1926)

Who Was Mary Mahoney?

Mary Mahoney was admitted to the nursing school of the New England Hospital for Women and Children, and became the first Black woman to complete nurse’s training in 1879. She was also one of the first Black members of the American Nurses Association, and has been credited as one of the first women to register to vote in Boston following the ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920. Mahoney was inducted into both the Nursing Hall of Fame and the National Women’s Hall of Fame.

Early Life

Mary Eliza Mahoney was born on May 7, 1845 (some sources say April 16, 1845), in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. After working for several years as a private-duty nurse at Boston’s New England Hospital for Women and Children, in 1878, Mahoney was admitted to the hospital’s nursing program.

Pioneer of Nursing and Voting

The following year, Mary Mahoney made history when she became the first black woman to complete nurse’s training. Subsequently, she became one of the first black members of the Nurses Associated Alumnae of the United States and Canada (later renamed the American Nurses Association), as well as a member of the newly founded National Association of Colored Graduate Nurses.

In addition to her pioneering efforts in nursing, Mahoney has been credited as one of the first women to register to vote in Boston following the ratification of the 19th Amendment, granting women’s suffrage, on August 26, 1920.

Later Life and Career

In the early 1900s, Mahoney relocated to Long Island, New York, to serve a stint as supervisor of the Howard Orphan Asylum for Black Children, returning to Massachusetts thereafter.

Death

Mahoney was inducted into the Nursing Hall of Fame in 1976 and received induction into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in 1993. She died in Boston on January 4, 1926, at the age of 80.

---

QUICK FACTS

• Name: Mary Mahoney
• Birth Year: 1845
• Birth date: May 7, 1845
• Birth State: Massachusetts
• Birth City: Dorchester, Boston
• Birth Country: United States
• Gender: Female
• Best Known For: Mary Mahoney became the first Black woman to complete nurse’s training in 1879.
• Industries
• Science and Medicine
• Civil Rights
• Astrological Sign: Taurus
• Schools
• New England Hospital for Women and Children
• Interesting Facts
• Mary Mahoney became the first black woman to complete nurse’s training in 1879. She was also one of the first black members of the American Nurses Association.
• Death Year: 1926
• Death date: January 4, 1926
• Death State: Massachusetts
• Death City: Boston
• Death Country: United States

Fact Check

We strive for accuracy and fairness.If you see something that doesn’t look right,contact us!

CITATION INFORMATION

• Article Title: Mary Mahoney Biography
• Author: Biography.com Editors
• Website Name: The Biography.com website
• Url: https://www.biography.com/activists/mary-mahoney
• Access Date:
• Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
• Last Updated: July 9, 2020
• Original Published Date: April 2, 2014