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Helen Homans pictured with a patient, circa 1917 - 1918. This image appears in the online exhibit 'Through Her Eyes: Katharine McLennan' from the Beaton Institute, Cape Breton Regional Library, Fortress Louisbourg Association and Parks Canada. Click on the image above to learn more.
Helen Homans “gave her life for France in the World War just as truly as though she had been killed serving upon the field of battle.” Helen was born in 1884, and  came from a medical family, with doctors going back several generations. After studying at Radcliffe,  Helen became extremely involved in volunteer work at Mass General Hospital. Before the war, Helen had spent time travelling in France, and fell in love with the country. When hostilities broke out, she went to France to volunteer at a field hospital in May 1915, two years before the United States entered the war. Over the course of the war, she served at numerous field and artillery hospitals, with ambulance services, and even became a supervising nurse. Unfortunately, she died from Spanish Influenza on November 6, 1918, just 5 days before the Armistice. She was 34 years old. Helen was awarded the Croix de Guerre with Palm, a prestigious honor in the French military. Although Harvard's Memorial Chapel itself was dedicated in memory of those from Harvard who died in World War I, Helen’s name was excluded until 2001, when Helen and two other Radcliffe women were finally recognized for their role in the war.
What sacrifices would you make for the people you love?
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What women in medical and military professions have had a positive impact on your life?