Hale, Mamie O. (1911–c. 1968)
Hale, Mamie O. (1911–c. 1968)
African-American nurse and midwife. Name variations: Mamie Odessa Hale. Born 1911 in Pennsylvania; died c. 1968.
Developed innovative training programs for lay midwives that greatly decreased African-American maternal mortalities in rural Arkansas; studied at Tuskegee School of Nurse-Midwifery for Colored Nurses in Alabama; was an Arkansas State Board of Health public health nurse (1942–45) for the Crittendon County Health Department; created programs for granny midwives (experienced midwives with no formal training) as the midwife consultant for the Arkansas Health Department's Maternal and Child Health Division (1945–50); taught 7-session midwifery courses and granted certificates in 4 Arkansas state counties; advocated the importance of public support for midwives.