Anne Mangum Smith, RN*
Anne Mangum Smith began her public health nursing career in 1938 in Randolph County, Alabama. Her career lasted over four decades, included service in seven counties, and eventually lead to the most esteemed position in public health nursing in Alabama. Mrs. Smith was the Director of Public Health Nursing in Alabama from 1964 until her retirement in 1984. Under her tenure as Director of Public Health Nursing, the Governor assigned her department the responsibility of implementing Medicaid and Medicare home health services.
During Anne Smith’s career as Director of Public Health Nursing, many advancements in public health nursing are recognized. In part they include the establishment of the home health program and Pap smear program, as well as the development of in-service programs, a school health manual for public health nurses, and the nurse midwifery bill. Anne Smith was recognized nationally having served as the president of the Association of State Directors of Nursing, and was also the first nurse to be president of the Alabama Public Health Association. In 1976 she received the prestigious D.G. Gill Award from the Alabama Public Health Association.