In today’s Lowell Sun… this photo of nurses celebrating the 60th anniversary of their graduation from St. Joseph’s Hospital School of Nursing caught my eye. Lowell has a long history and tradition of educating and training women – and yes men – for the profession of Nursing. Students – including many in my own family –  from Lowell and across the Merrimack Valley came to train at St. Joe’s, at the Catherine Laboure School of Nursing at St. John’s Hospital, to the Lowell General Hospital School of Nursing, to nearby Tewksbury Hospital and in later years to UMass Lowell. High quality LPN training could be had at Tewksbury Hospital and at Greater-Lowell THS. Thanks to the women celebrating their 60th for their years of dedicated and compassionate care to those in need.

From today’s Lowell Sun: Members of the St. Joseph’s Hospital School of Nursing Class of 1953 celebrate their 60th reunion with lunch at the Andover Inn on Wednesday. From left, seated, are: June Wholey of Dracut, Therese Holdsworth of Dracut, Margaret Lenzi of Lowell, and Dottie Gaumont of Lowell. Standing, from left, are Aline Ricker of Bedford, Muriel Hickey of Lowell, Florence Gosselin of Winchester, Evelyn Armstrong of North Chelmsford, Donna Sweeney of Nashua, June Dingle of Dunstable, Claire Kelly of Hollis, N.H. and Gloria Caron of Nashua. There were 28 in their graduating class. Watch video at lowellsun.com.