Oral history with Ms. Vonciel Harris

              Oral history with Ms. Vonciel Harris
F341.5 . M57 vol. 492
Funding for this project provided by The Mississippi State Legislature, The Mississippi Humanities Council, The Mississippi Department of Archives and History, and the Center for Oral History and Cultural Heritage at the University of Southern Mississippi.
This transcription of an oral history by the Center for Oral History and Cultural Heritage of The University of Southern Mississippi may not be reproduced or published in any form except that quotation of short excerpts of unrestricted transcripts and the associated tape recordings is permissible providing written consent is obtained from the Center for Oral History and Cultural Heritage. When literary rights have been retained by the interviewee, written permission to use the material must be obtained from both the interviewee and the Center for Oral History and Cultural Heritage. Please call ( 601) 266- 4574 for more information.
Biography
Ms. Vonciel Harris was born November 19, 1912, in Thomaston, Alabama. Her parents were Jim and Rachel Tims. She attended nursing school in Montgomery, Alabama.
After finishing nursing school, she married Mr. Jimmy Harris and moved to Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Ms. Harris spent over thirty- five years as a registered nurse for the Mississippi State Department of Health. She was the first black registered nurse at Forrest County Health Department.
Ms. Harris currently lives in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.
Table of Contents
I. Background
II. Nursing training
III. The move to Hattiesburg
IV. Work at the state sanitorium
V. Graduation
VI. The health department in Hattiesburg
VII. Working as a black nurse
VIII. Witnessing changes
IX. Illness and retirement
X. Raising a child
XI. Midwives
XII. Opening of the VD clinic
XIII. Community nursing
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