Eliza Farish Pillars was born in Jackson, Mississippi. She was the first Black registered nurse employed by the Mississippi State Board of Health in 1926. After graduating from the School of Nursing-Hubbard Hospital at Meharry Medical College in Nashville in 1912, Pillars worked at the Jackson Infirmary Charity Hospital, now known as St. Dominic Hospital. She also owned and operated a 12-bed hospital, Mercy Hospital, on Farish Street. In her honor, the former Colored Registered Nurses Club is now named The Eliza Pillars Registered Nurses of Mississippi.
Local actor Georgia Cohran portrays Pillars in the upcoming production, “Walking in Their Footsteps,” on Wednesday, March 16, at 10:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. at Tougaloo College in the Bennie G. Thompson Center Auditorium. A Q&A follows the 10:00 a.m. program. The performance is free of charge. Please share this post and upcoming ones on your timelines. Thank you for your support! #womenshistorymonth #blackhistory#blackhistoryplus #blackhistory365