The Traverse Area District Library will welcome Virginia LeClaire, author and member of the Grand Traverse Area Genealogical Society, to the Main (Woodmere) Branch on Wednesday, October 3 at 7 p.m. to discuss her first book, The Traverse City State Hospital Training School for Nurses.
LeClaire's book, including more than two years of research, and discussion will focus on the Training School and the more than 400 nurses who graduated from the institution, revealing the lives of the women as well as operations and working conditions at the State Hospital. LeClaire will be selling signed copies of her book, with all proceeds going to the History Center of Traverse City.
TADL Librarian, Amy Barritt will provide an introduction and give a brief talk on TADL special collections and resources LeClaire used in her research.
LeClaire grew up in a military family and graduated from Mercy School of Nursing of Detroit, Ann Arbor Unit, in 1964. She subsequently attended the University of Michigan where she obtained BSN and MS degrees. She was employed as a nurse practitioner in the Breast Oncology Program at the University of Michigan’s Comprehensive Cancer Center until her retirement in 2006. At that time, she returned to the Grand Traverse region where she had spent many delightful summers in childhood. She is descended from four Traverse City pioneer families.
This program will take place in the McGuire Community Room at the Main Branch of the Traverse Area District Library located at 610 Woodmere Avenue in Traverse City.
The Traverse Area District Library is a network of community libraries serving Grand Traverse County through the following locations: Main (Woodmere) Branch in Traverse City, East Bay and Kingsley Branch Libraries, and Member Libraires: Fife Lake Public Library, Interlochen Public Library, and the Peninsula Community Library. Learn more at www.tadl.org.