Artifact Friday: Candy Striper Nurses' Uniform

During World War II, many women signed up as hospital volunteers. They served as assistants to nurses who were serving stateside. These young women wore white and blue striped caps like the one seen in our collection. This striped pattern gave the women the nickname Candy Stripers.

The program began as a civics class project in New Jersey for high school students in 1944. The duties of these Candy Stripers normally consisted of janitorial jobs such as making beds, basic cleaning, and sterilizing medical equipment for the nurses.

Volunteers in some locations even ran their own therapy programs in the hospitals, such as art or music therapy. Ultimately, the duties of the Candy Stripers varied depending on the location they were volunteering at. Due to the short lifespan of the volunteer program, there are very few uniforms remaining. Our Candy Striper nurse’s uniform belonged to Julie Ann Paisley and was kindly donated by her family.