Josephine Aloyse Dolan was born July 27, 1913, in Cranston, Rhode Island. She attended and graduated from St. John's Hospital School of Nursing in Lowell, Massachusetts. After spending one semester at the "In-Town" campus of Boston College, she enrolled in the nursing program at Boston University and earned baccalaureate degree (1942). Dolan taught for one year at St. Vincent's Hospital School of Nursing in Bridgeport, Connecticut before returning to Boston University for her master's degree.

In June 1944, Dolan began her long association with the University of Connecticut by becoming the first instructor in the School of Nursing. She was not enthusiastic about teaching a history of nursing course, but she soon found that the topic was an interesting one for her. From 1961 to 1971, Dolan was involved with the Committee on Historic Source Materials in Nursing, formed under the National League for Nursing Education. Throughout her career, Dolan was one of nursing's most outspoken advocates for the collection of historical materials and dissemination, teaching, and study of nursing history. In addition to Dolan's contributions to nursing history, her career also demonstrated excellence in teaching and scholarship and extensive involvement in service to the nursing profession. She was the first recipient of the National League for Nursing Distinguished Service Award (1972).

Dolan retired to Holliston, Massachusetts, in 1976. Her reputation as an excellent teacher was publicly recognized when the Connecticut Nurses' Association established the Josephine A. Dolan Award for Outstanding Contribution to Nursing Education (1980). After her retirement, Dolan continued as a guest lecturer at the University of Connecticut and became involved with Connell School of Nursing at Boston College. She received an Honorary Degree from Boston College in 1987. At the annual convention of the Massachusetts Nurses Association in 1992, Dolan was honored with the Lucy Lincoln Drown Nursing History Society's award.

Dolan died on December 4, 2004.

Sources:

Doona, Mary Ellen. "Josephine Aloyse Dolan." Massachusetts Report on Nursing, 3 (2005): 11-13.

American Nursing: A Biographical Dictionary, v. 2, edited by Vern L. Bullough, Lilli Sentz and Alice P. Stien, Garland Publishing, Inc., New York, 1992.