125th Anniversary
For more than a century, the University of Maryland School of Nursing (UMSON) has been committed to excellence in educating nurses who have become expert clinicians, educators, and leaders in Maryland, the nation, and around the globe. We hope you will celebrate our 125th anniversary with us this year!
A Brief History of the School of Nursing
1889 – University of Maryland Faculty of Physic’s Training School for Nurses (now the University of Maryland School of Nursing) opens. Louisa Parsons, a graduate of the Nightingale Fund School at St. Thomas’ Hospital in London, is the first superintendent. The School was originally associated with University Hospital, and early students spend a majority of their time working in the wards, in addition to studying in the classroom.
1925 – Five-year program leading to a joint Bachelor of Science degree and diploma in nursing is launched.
1952 – UMSON formally adopts four-year baccalaureate program leading to the BSN, transitioning away from a training school associated with a hospital and becoming an independent degree-granting institution.
1955 – The graduate program begins with the offering of a Master of Science degree with a major in psychiatric nursing. UMSON’s curriculum continues to change to meet the new, higher standards and keep up with changes in the profession.
1970 – A five-story School of Nursing building opens at 655 W. Lombard Street and UMSON begins to emphasize research in addition to its education and practical roles.
1979 – The PhD program begins, one of only 22 in the nation.
1998 – A new $38 million, 154,000 square foot, seven-story School of Nursing Building is dedicated at 655 W. Lombard Street to accommodate UMSON’s expanding number of faculty members, staff, and students.
2006 – UMSON launches the state’s first Doctor of Nursing Practice program.
2013 - UMSON advances to 9th place among nursing schools receiving research funding from the National Institutes of Health – its highest-ever ranking.
For a more in-depth history of UMSON, visit the Memory Lane page.