Miss Keller Retires from Hospital Career

Knoxville Journal, January 28, 1967, Page 3

“Quietly and without fanfare,” that’s how Miss Jane Keller did her work through many years at Knoxville General Hospital and, since 1952, at Eastern State Psychiatric Hospital.

And that is how she asked to retire, quietly and without fanfare.

She has been away from ESPH now for several weeks, since before Christmas. Two days after her resignation became effective, Miss Keller suffered a heart attack. Only a very few of her friends and associates were told of her hospitalization.

She is at home now, in a downtown apartment, and says she “hopes to be fully recovered soon so I can start doing some of the things I have put off doing.”

The World of Eastern State Hospital, a monthly newspaper put out by the institution, has dedicated the December issue to “Miss Jane,” with a page one picture under the headline “Beloved Nursing Chief Retires” and an open letter beside it signed by all staff members and patients who could hold a pen.

Miss Keller was the first registered nurse ever employed at ESH [sic], and as director was charged with the responsibility of adding an entirely new department. The present nursing service, with its associated Department of Nursing Education, stands as a tribute to her skill both as a nurse and as an administrator.

Much of Miss Keller’s long career was at Knoxville General, where she did her nurse’s training and then advanced rapidly to nursing director of that hospital.

“Miss Jane was Knoxville General Hospital,” said one eminent local surgeon who interned there.

Mrs. Louise Hope Singleton, RN, who came to ESPH some years ago to be in charge of nurses’ aide training and left after her marriage, returned to her work there about six months ago and began to prepare for taking over Miss Keller’s job. Mrs. Singleton is the new supervisor of nurses at ESPH.