The expansion of the United States Navy Nurse Corps during the Second World War was managed by Sue S. Dauser, who served as its fifth superintendent. Born in Anaheim in 1888, she oversaw the growth of the organization from 436 members to over 11,000 personnel by the year 1945, fundamentally altering the scale of naval medical nursing.
Early Career and World War I
After graduating from Fullerton Union High School and the California Hospital School of Nursing in 1914, Dauser joined the Navy Nurse Corps in September 1917. During the First World War, she served with Naval Base Hospital Number 3. Her duties took her to Edinburgh, Scotland, as well as locations within the United States, typically functioning as a Chief Nurse.
Twenty questions, eight minutes on the clock, and a percentile measured against everyone who has taken it. No sign-up.
Take the IQ test →Interwar Assignments
Following the armistice, Dauser took charge of nursing operations at the U.S. Naval Hospital in San Diego, California. Throughout the 1920s, her career involved deployments across naval hospitals, overseas billets in Guam and the Philippines, and service aboard multiple ships. In 1923, she attended to President Warren G. Harding during the illness that preceded his death. Throughout the 1930s, she held positions as principal chief nurse at various naval medical facilities.
Superintendency and Rank
Appointed superintendent in 1939, Dauser directed the corps through the entirety of World War II. Her administrative authority expanded significantly as the war progressed. In July 1942, she received the permanent relative rank of lieutenant commander. By December of that year, she attained the temporary relative rank of captain, becoming the first woman in United States Navy history to hold that status. Her commission was updated in February 1944 to reflect an actual rank for the war period plus six months.
Legacy and Honors
For her leadership as superintendent throughout the conflict, Dauser was awarded the Navy Distinguished Service Medal. Her tenure established new operational benchmarks for military nursing. Following her retirement, she lived until her death on 11 March 1972.
Fast facts
- Born: 20 September 1888, Anaheim
- Died: 11 March 1972
- Education: Fullerton Union High School, California Hospital School of Nursing
- Role: Fifth Superintendent of the U.S. Navy Nurse Corps
- Commissioned Rank: Captain
- Key Award: Navy Distinguished Service Medal
- Active Military Start: September 1917
Questions readers ask
What rank did Sue S. Dauser hold in the Navy?
She was the first woman in U.S. Navy history to hold the rank of captain.
Which major conflict did she oversee as superintendent?
She directed the Navy Nurse Corps throughout World War II.
Achievements
- Navy Distinguished Service Medal