Texas League for Nursing.

The National League for Nursing (NLN) formed in 1952 by combining organizations nationwide into local and state level representative branches of the new NLN.

The next year, the Texas League for Nursing Education and Texas Organization of Public Health Nursing joined together as the Texas branch of the NLN, known as the Texas League for Nursing, Inc. (TLN). The goals of both the state and national leagues include improving nursing education and scholarship through evidence-based research and teaching practices, developing a diverse workforce within the profession and leadership within the organization, promoting the nurse educator in public policy, and providing a dialogue within the education community and with other organizations.

Headquartered in Austin, the TLN was initially composed of five officers and four members of the board of directors, which increased by 1976 to seven officers, four directors-at-large, and a chairman from each local unit.

In 1958, Edith Ayers became the first full-time employee, serving as executive secretary for over 25 years. Membership included professional and vocational nurses, non-nurse members, new graduates, and retirees, with a focus in hospital, industrial, and public health nurses and nurse educators. Although the organization started allowing more varied professionals, the membership declined from over 1,500 in the 1950s to only 550 in 1993. The TLN consists of numerous committees, including nominations, finance, membership, awards, state program, convention, public affairs, public relations, and others. Furthermore, the organization is broken into local area leagues with chairmen in order to fulfill the needs of individual Texas communities.

From 1981 to 1982, Dr. Gail C. Davis served as the TLN's president.

She graduated with an Ed.D. in Counseling & Guidance from Texas Tech University and taught at the Harris College of Nursing of the Texas Christian University in Fort Worth before joining the at Texas Woman's University College of Nursing in Denton, focusing on research and scholarship related to aging, chronic conditions, and pain management. As of August 2010, Davis serves on the Advisory Board for American Chronic Pain Association and on the Editorial Board of The Rheumatologist, a joint publication of the American College of Rheumatology and Association of Rheumatology Health Professionals.

From the description of Texas League for Nursing, Inc., records, 1972-1983, 1993 (University of Texas Libraries). WorldCat record id: 669471825