Long, Mary N., 1941-

Mary N. Long was born in Guthrie, Ky., in 1941. She moved to Atlanta to attend Grady Memorial Hospital's School of Nursing. Long worked at Grady 1963-1985, organizing its Central Referral and Community Health Department. She worked as a vice president at the Arthritis Foundation, 1985-2003. A pioneering advocate for women's and health issues, Long was involved in the movement to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment in Georgia and established the first clinic for the homeless in Atlanta.

Long was the first African American to be president of the Georgia Nurses' Association and later served as a Vice President of the American Nurses' Association. Active in the Georgia Democratic Party, she was a delegate to its 1992 convention and was appointed to several state boards. Long received numerous awards and honors, including bearing the Olympic Torch in 1996.