Luther was born in Summit Hill, Pennsylvania in 1915. He entered the Pennsylvania Hospital School of Nursing for Men in Philadelphia and graduated in 1939. He completed a baccalaureate degree in nursing at Temple University in 1948. He then completed a masters program in clinical psychology at Temple University in 1952. Dr Christman received his Ph D from Michigan State University in 1965.

 

Luther Christman has had a distinguished career in nursing. He was refused a commission in the military nurse corps during World War II so he enlisted in the Merchant Marine and served as a Pharmacists Mate. He served in Yankton, South Dakota and then in Michigan. He became Dean of Nursing at Vanderbilt University where he first developed his integration model of nursing education and practice. He then was named Dean of Nursing at Rush Medical Center and Rush University in Chicago.

 

Dr Christman became one of the founders of the National Male Nurses Association, now known as the American Assembly for Men in Nursing. The group originated as a state level organization in Michigan and had several thousand members at one time. Through Luther’s vision it went national and thanks to Luther’s guidance and perseverance it remains a viable organization today even though there were many obstacles in its path. Luther remains as Chairman of the Board of AAMN.

 

Dr Christman met his wife Dorothy Black in school. They remained steadfast friends and married in 1939. They raised three children together and never spent much time apart until Dorothy’s illness and death in 2003.

 

Dr Christman is a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing; he was named a “Living legend” by the Academy and in 2004 was inducted into the ANA Hall of Fame for his extraordinary contributions to nursing.