Phelps, Grace, 1871-1952

The People’s Institute worked to provide social services for the urban poor while the Portland Free Dispensary was an early effort to provide health services to the underserved. They served as a model of collaboration between the city’s charitable organizations and its medical community. This collection contains a variety of reports, correspondence, and other materials relating to the work of the People's Institute and Portland Free Dispensary.

Grace Phelps (1871-1952) was a prominent Oregonian health professional and nursing advocate who maintained a career as a practicing nurse from approximately 1900 to 1942. This collection houses the professional and public records of Grace Phelps, and includes materials relating to her time as head nurse at Base Hospitals 45 and 46 during WWI; head nurse at the Portland Eye, Ear, Nose, and Throat Hospital; and Superintendent at Doernbecher Memorial Hospital for Children.