Mary Eliza Mahoney was born free on May 7, 1845 in Dorchester, Massachusetts. She began her healthcare career as a maid in the New England Hospital for Women and Children. At the age of 33 she was admitted into the hospital’s nursing program. Forty candidates began the training, but only three finished, including Mahoney, making her the first African American graduate nurse in the United States. Her achievements are still honored today through the Mary Mahoney Medal, which is awarded by the American Nurses’ Association every two years. Recipients of the award are chosen for their pioneering efforts in furthering opportunities for all nurses regardless of race, creed or color. She died in 1926. In 1976, fifty years after her death, Mary Eliza Mahoney was inducted into the Nursing Hall of Fame.