Alice Burford Booth, R.N., spent most of her career in psychiatric nursing (1945-1967) at the Medical College of Virginia. The Booth Papers include psychiatric nursing material from her days as a student and from her career as an instructor. The information gathered here is a useful resource on the medical treatment of the mentally ill in the World War II era, and on changing attitudes toward mental illness in the medical community and society at large.

The bulk of the Janet Colaizzi Collection concerns activities, programs, and psychiatric nursing administration at Eastern State Hospital, the Commonwealth of Virginia's mental health facility in Williamsburg.

The Crawford Papers include publications, presentations, memos, conference reports, and correspondence by Annie Laurie Crawford. The correspondence includes Crawford’s letters to journal editors, communication with health institutions related to psychiatric nursing consulting work, and correspondence with state nurses’ associations.

The Jones Papers contain publications, presentations, memos, professional notes, journal articles, and correspondence related to her work as a psychiatric mental health certified nurse specialist and as a licensed counselor. The materials, dating from the 1940s to the 1990s, represent an overview of Jones’ varied career as clinician, counselor, instructor, administrator, and consultant.

The Clare Houseman Papers concern the formal legitimization of private practice nursing. The specific story documented here centers on the authorization of clinical nurse specialists in Virginia to provide psychiatric mental health services. Their successful campaign shepherding legislation through the General Assembly, contesting the policies and procedures of the insurance industry, engaging other health professionals, and establishing regulatory regimes illustrate the range of issues the nursing field has had to confront and resolve as its members advocate for fully-recognized professional status.