Pensacola in Escambia County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)

Katharine A. Goldsmith R.N.

Photographed by Mark Hilton, July 11, 2021

1. Katharine A. Goldsmith R.N. Marker

Inscription.
Nurse
Educator
Christian
September 22, 1923 - January 28, 2006

Katharine Goldsmith was familiar to many in this area as the drug room nurse at Sacred Heart Hospital when it was located on 12th Avenue. In April 1956, she coordinated the first licensed practical nursing program for the Booker T. Washington Vocational School for black students at the U.S. Navy Hospital, Pensacola, FL. This was the first program of its kind conducted in a military setting. This program set a precedent for non-federal educational programs with the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery for the U.S. Navy. The program she developed served as a model for several other agencies and schools.

In 1964, she joined the staff at Pensacola Junior College (which later became Pensacola State College) as an instructor. As the coordinator of clinical instruction, she served as liaison to all area hospitals and was the lead teacher at the Navy Hospital. In 1976, she was elected President of the Florida Nurses Association of District One. She was the first black to be so honored. In 1983, District One set another precedent by presenting Mrs.

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Goldsmith the "Nurse of the Year” award and in 1985 the “Nurse Educator of the Year” award.

In April of 2005, she was awarded the "Outstanding Christian Female” award by the School of Religious Studies, headquartered in Little Rock, AK, [sic] where they recognized the services that she rendered as a nurse, nurse educator and also her involvement in the community and the church. She was a member of the Gateway Church of Christ. During her lifetime, she garnered many more "Firsts".

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Education • Science & Medicine • Women. A significant historical date for this entry is January 28, 2006.

Location. 30° 26.469′ N, 87° 12.956′ W. Marker is in Pensacola, Florida, in Escambia County. It can be reached from the intersection of East Fisher Street and Dr Martin Luther King Jr Drive (Florida Route 291). Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 318 E Fisher St, Pensacola FL 32503, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is on the Florida Panhandle. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Deep South, and on the

Marker (on right) at the Eastside neighborhood entrance sign. image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mark Hilton, July 11, 2021

2. Marker (on right) at the Eastside neighborhood entrance sign.

Gulf Coast.

Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Spencer Bibbs (here, next to this marker); A.S. Magee Field (approx. ¼ mile away); The Lost Neighborhood (approx. half a mile away); Historic Crystal Icehouse (approx. half a mile away); Spencer Bibbs Academy (approx. half a mile away); E.S. Cobb Center (approx. ¾ mile away); Early Military Career (approx. 0.8 miles away); History in Place (approx. 0.8 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Pensacola.

More about this marker. The plaque incorrectly uses "AK" for the abbreviation for Arkansas. It should be shown as "AR"

Credits. This page was last revised on July 16, 2021. It was originally submitted on July 14, 2021, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 742 times since then and 72 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 14, 2021, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.