ABSTRACT
In August 1930, the editors of the original Public Health Nursing published an article derived from a speech made by Dr. Haven Emerson, then professor of public health administration at Columbia University, on the topic of the distribution and use of public health nurses. The speech was made before an audience of lay board members from hospitals and public health nursing organizations in Chicago, February 17, 1930. Emerson reported the results of a data analysis in which the numbers and credentials of public health nurses in 24 cities across the United States were reported. Excerpts from this report and Dr. Emerson's conclusions are powerful reminders that while there were issues of labor supply and distribution, the power of nurses to effect social transformation was central to the role as conceived by those administering public health services.
