Dr. Mary Kneedler
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The Kneedler Child Development Center is named in honor of Mary Kneedler, a longtime advocate for quality care and education of children. Dr. Kneedler graduated from Duke University with a nursing degree in 1936 and took her skills into rural areas, serving as a public health nurse in three North Carolina counties, and in Kentucky. She later returned to school, earning a bachelor's degree in public health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1947, and a master's degree in public health nursing administration from the Teachers College of Columbia University in 1952. As a Western Carolina faculty member, she helped establish the Nursing Program and was instrumental in the development of the National Head Start program, as well as other services for preschool children. She has provided gifts totaling $100,000 to the Center. |
