Osborne, Estelle Massey (1901–1981)

African-American nurse. Name variations: Geneva Estelle Massey Riddle Osborne; Estelle Massey Riddle Osborne; Estelle Massey and Estelle Massey Riddle. Born Geneva Estelle Massey, May 3, 1901, in Palestine, TX; died Dec 12, 1981, in Oakland, CA; dau. of Bettye and Hall Massey; graduate of school of nursing at St. Louis City Hospital (later Homer G. Phillips Hospital), 1923; Columbia University Teachers College, BS, 1930, MA, 1931; m. Bedford N. Riddle, c. 1935; Herman Osborne, c. 1945.

Was the 1st African-American nurse to earn an MA, the 1st African-American to receive a Julius Rosenwald Fund scholarship at Columbia University, the 1st African-American instructor at Harlem Hospital School of Nursing, the 1st director of nursing education at Freedmen's Hospital School of Nursing (Washington, DC), the 1st African-American superintendent of nurses and director of Homer G. Phillips Hospital nursing school (1940), the 1st African-American professor at New York University (1945–54) and the 1st African-American member of board of directors of the American Nurses Association (ANA, 1948–52); as an advocate for the National Nursing Council for War Service (later National Nursing Council), influenced the admitting policies of the navy (which accepted its 1st African-American nurses), of the army (which increased its acceptance rate of African-American nurses) and of nurse training schools; held an executive position at National League for Nursing (1954–66). Inducted into ANA Hall of Fame; Nurses' Education Fund established the Estelle Massey Osborne Memorial Scholarship (1982).