Sadie Heath Cabaniss—Nursing Innovator (1863-1921)

Sadie Heath Cabaniss laid the foundation for professional nursing in Virginia and was the founder of the VCU School of Nursing in 1893. Cabaniss, who held leadership positions in both state and national nursing organizations, led the movement to secure licensing registration for Virginia nurses in 1903. As superintendent of the Old Dominion Training School, Cabaniss molded Virginia's first generation of professional nurses. Her devotion to the cause of public health led her to develop a nurses' settlement in Richmond and in St. Augustine, Florida. She also established the first rural health visiting nurse service in Virginia for Hanover County.