Born: 1894 (Olesega, Manu’a island group, American Samoa)
Died: 1987
Biography:
Grace Pepe Malemo Haleck (1894–1987), from American Samoa, was the first nurse in that territory to receive training in the USA. She became American Samoa’s chief nurse in 1926.
Early Life:
Grace Pepe Malemo was born on January 11, 1894, in Olesega, on the Manu’a island group of American Samoa. Her father, a church minister, was from Olosega, and her mother came from a well-known family from the same island group. She grew up with seven sisters and four brothers, being raised by her grandmother.
In 1906, Charles Brainard Taylor Moore, the then-governor of American Samoa, sponsored Grace to attend the Church girls’ school on the main island of Tutuila. She successfully completed her studies in 1913. Grace, along with two other girls from the same school, then became the first Samoan women to enter nurses’ training. They graduated in 1916, making them the first American Samoans to become qualified nurses.
Career:
Despite her petite stature of just 5 feet tall, Grace Pepe Malemo Haleck traversed mountain tracks alone, carrying only a bag filled with medicine and medical records. She was renowned for her charisma and determination in dealing with health authorities. In the villages she visited, she encountered common diseases like elephantiasis and yaws, as well as widespread malnutrition. Grace delivered many babies during her nursing career.
In 1919, Haleck was chosen as the first American Samoan nurse to undergo training in the United States. She initially went to the Naval Hospital on Mare Island, California, before moving to a Children’s Hospital in San Francisco. Haleck’s exceptional skills and dedication led to her becoming the Chief Nurse in American Samoa in 1926.
In 1928, she was appointed as Samoa’s delegate to the first conference of the Pan Pacific Women’s Association, held in Hawaii. This organization was established to promote peace in the Pacific region in response to World War I. The conference featured 173 participants and marked the region’s first independent international women’s organization. Later renamed as the Pan-Pacific & Southeast Asia Women’s Association (PPSEAWA) in 1955.
Personal Life and Continuation of Nursing Interests:
A popular song was composed about Grace Pepe Haleck in American Samoa. It was written by a student who she declined to marry because she did not want to give up her nursing training. After 22 years as a nurse, she married Max Haleck, a German businessman who owned the Rainmaker Hotel in the capital city of Pago Pago. Grace gave up her nursing job to pursue a life with Max, who was a widower with six children.
During her time at the Rainmaker Hotel, Grace had the opportunity to meet and assist the famous anthropologist, Margaret Mead, known for her work Coming of Age in Samoa. Grace acted as Mead’s interpreter during her stay. However, her interest in nursing never waned.
In 1937, Grace founded the Nurses’ Alumni Association and became its first president. She wanted to continue promoting the nursing profession and ensuring the continued development of nursing in American Samoa. Her dedication to nursing and her contributions to the nursing community were recognized and celebrated by her peers.