Notable people · Military · Nurse · Women
Alene Duerk
Born in Defiance, she trained as a nurse in Toledo and became a Navy nurse. In 1972 she became the first woman admiral in the US Navy, while directing the Navy Nurse Corps.
At a glance
- Born
- 1920-03-29
- Died
- 2018-07-21
- Education
- Toledo Hospital School of Nursing, Toledo, OH, to 1941, nursing diploma
- Case Western Reserve University, Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, Cleveland, OH, to 1948, B.S.
- Known as
- Military, Nurse, Women
- Organizations
- US Navy Nurse Corps
Life story
Alene Duerk was born in Defiance in March 1920. She studied nursing at the Toledo Hospital School of Nursing and finished her diploma in 1941, then later earned a bachelor of science from the nursing school at Case Western Reserve University in 1948.
She served in the Navy in two stretches, 1943 to 1946 and 1951 to 1975. During World War II she worked aboard the hospital ship USS Benevolence in the Pacific.
In 1970 she took charge of the Navy Nurse Corps. In 1972 she was promoted to rear admiral, the first woman to hold an admiral's rank in the US Navy.
She retired in 1975, kept speaking up for women in the Navy, and died in Lake Mary, Florida, in 2018 at age 98. A bronze statue of her stands at the University of Central Florida.
Timeline
- 1920-03-29: Born (Defiance, OH) source
- 1941: Earns nursing diploma at Toledo Hospital School of Nursing (Toledo, OH) source
- 1943: Begins first period of Navy active duty; serves aboard hospital ship USS Benevolence (Pacific) source
- 1948: Earns B.S. from Case Western Reserve University nursing school (Cleveland, OH) source
- 1970: Becomes director of the Navy Nurse Corps (Washington, DC) source
- 1972: Promoted to rear admiral, first woman admiral in the Navy (Washington, DC) source
- 1975: Retires from the Navy source
- 2013: Bronze statue unveiled at University of Central Florida (Orlando, FL) source
- 2018-07-21: Dies at age 98 (Lake Mary, FL) source
What Alene is known for
- First woman admiral in the US Navy (1972)
- Director of the Navy Nurse Corps, 1970-1975
- Director, Navy Nurse Corps (1970-1975)
Inventions and firsts
Honors and things named for them
- Bronze statue, University of Central Florida, Orlando (2013)
- Several honorary doctorates
Family
- none stated: She never married and had no children
Places in Ohio to see
- Fort Defiance Park (her hometown's founding site) (park)
Defiance, Defiance County ZIP 43512 (approximate) · Defiance · Defiance County · official page
Ohio places
Where Alene Duerk was born, lived, worked and is remembered, with the ZIP code, town and county pages for each.
- Born: Defiance, Defiance County ZIP 43512 · Defiance · Defiance County
- School: Toledo, Lucas County ZIP 43604 · Toledo · Lucas County
Further reading
Sources
Confidence. Medium: the main facts were confirmed, but some details (often an address or ZIP code) were not.
- Wikipedia: Alene Duerk birth, death, education, service, first female admiral 1972, statue at University of Central Florida 2013