U.S. Cadet Nurse Corps Recruitment Materials
This collection of documents from the Brokaw Hospital School of Nursing offers an close look at the experiences of nursing students during the final months of World War II. Among the most striking pieces are multiple rejection letters—signed by Sue S. Dauser, Director of the U.S. Navy Nurse Corps—to cadet nurses Beatrice M. Claggett, Better B. Ubbenga, and Gladys M.G. Kohrt. Each letter communicates that the students' applications to serve in naval hospitals were denied due to the “Senior Cadet Period begun,” a formal signal that the window for enlistment had closed. While impersonal in tone, these letters subtly reflect the administrative yet deeply impactful policies shaping women’s opportunities in wartime nursing.
This primary source also reveals the financial and academic demands placed on nursing students. A breakdown of required textbooks shows first-year students purchasing titles like Principles and Practices of Nursing, Psychology for Nurses, and Practical Sociology, priced between $1.50 and $6.50. Juniors needed additional specialized texts, including DeLee’s Obstetrics for Nurses and Essentials of Pediatrics. Uniforms had to be purchased down to the caps and collars, with items like dresses ($2.75) and bibs ($0.55) contributing to the financial burden.
A separate document details the pre-clinical coursework offered at Illinois Wesleyan University in partnership with Brokaw and Mennonite hospitals. Courses like Anatomy-Physiology and Microbiology were offered at a reduced tuition rate of $6 per credit hour, totaling $102. This collaboration reflects IWU’s role in formalizing nursing education during a time of national urgency, laying early groundwork for the later establishment of IWU’s four-year baccalaureate nursing program in 1959.
Taken together, these materials show how IWU and Brokaw Hospital helped build the pipeline of wartime nurses by offering accessible education, standardized training, and a path toward national service—even if not every cadet was accepted into the military system. The voices of these women—though filtered through bureaucratic paperwork—contribute to a broader story of persistence, sacrifice, and care under pressure. They remind us that “taking care” during this era was not just about clinical skill, but also navigating systems, finances, and shifting expectations in a time of global conflict.
As a current IWU student, it’s fascinating to compare what nursing education looked like in 1945 to today. Seeing textbook prices listed at just $1.50 to $6.50 really puts things into perspective—nowadays, a single textbook can easily cost over $100, and a large amount of our materials are digital or accessed through online platforms. Uniforms back then were itemized down to bibs and cuffs, while today we often get standardized scrubs in one order. Even the application process has shifted from hand-typed forms and mailed letters to online portals and automated emails. Looking through these documents helped me realize just how much not only nursing education, but all forms of college education have evolved.