TWU just acquired about 350 Florence Nightingale artifacts, from letters and memorabilia to Notes on Nursing first editions.
Texas Woman’s University has acquired a rare collection of artifacts tied to Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing, university officials announced this week. The acquisition, revealed during National Nurses Month and days after Nightingale’s May 12 birthday, includes roughly 350 items documenting her life and legacy.
The collection features books, letters, memorabilia, and first editions of Notes on Nursing in every language in which it was published.
“This collection is about more than nursing sentimentality,” said Stephanie Woods, dean of TWU’s College of Nursing. “It paints a fuller picture of this complex woman who founded what we now know as professional nursing. ”Nightingale, born in 1820 in Florence, Italy, is widely credited with transforming hospital care and reducing mortality rates during the Crimean War through improved sanitation and data-driven practices. Her work in tracking health outcomes is considered foundational to modern health informatics.
TWU acquired the collection from alumnus Tony Paterniti, a longtime nurse educator who began collecting Nightingale materials in 1980 after purchasing a first edition of Notes on Nursing. Over time, he expanded the collection to include rare memorabilia, including a Nightingale Nursing School pin and items from her memorial service. The university is already familiar with the materials. The collection was previously on display at TWU’s Blagg-Huey Library from 2016 to 2024 on loan from Paterniti.
Woods said the acquisition positions TWU among a small group of institutions nationwide with major Nightingale collections and could draw students, historians, and health care professionals to the Denton campus.
“We are a major nursing school nearing our 75th anniversary,” Woods said. “Major schools should have major collections. ” University leaders also hope to expand access by sharing portions of the collection across TWU’s campuses and beyond, bringing Nightingale’s legacy to a broader audience.
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