 About the Hall of Fame
Inductees
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1996 InducteeKatherine J. Hoffman
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An early proponent of nursing research as a priority activity for the development of nursing
science, Katherine J. Hoffman was one of the founders of the Western Society for Research in
Nursing. She was equally committed to graduate education for nurses and assisted in the
establishment of the Western Council for Higher Education in Nursing. The first nurse in the
state of Washington to earn a PhD (1956), she became one of the highest ranking women
administrators at the University of Washington.
Hoffman was born April 18, 1910, in Grand Forks, British Columbia, and moved to
Tacoma, Washington, with her family in 1923. She earned a bachelor of arts degree in English
Literature in 1929, and a diploma in nursing from Tacoma General Hospital School of Nursing in
1934. While working as a night supervisor, she completed the requirements for an advanced
obstetrical nursing certificate, and in 1937, began her career as a nurse educator at the College of
Puget Sound and Pacific Lutheran College. In 1941, Hoffman earned a master's degree in nursing
and fifteen years later the doctorate, both from the University of Washington in Seattle.
During her thirty-four year career in nursing education, Hoffman served as mentor to
countless students and colleagues. Her commitment to scientific study was exemplified by the
nurse-scientist program she established at the University of Washington in 1963. The program
enabled nurses pursuing doctoral study to undertake research in scientific disciplines like
microbiology, physiology, and anthropology. Hoffman was dedicated to the expansion of
scientific principles in nursing and the use of those principles in the advancement of nursing
practice. An expert in curriculum development and program evaluation, Hoffman was a
consultant to many nursing schools across the country. Her educational ideas were student
oriented, interdisciplinary in nature, and research focused. Highly respected in the University of
Washington community, Hoffman's ability to promote collaboration among various disciplines
was an asset in the formation of a health sciences center.
Hoffman was a charter member of the American Academy of Nursing and an active
participant in professional organizations, including the American Nurses Association, National
League for Nursing, and Washington State Nurses Association. She was consistently involved in
advisory groups studying professional standards, educational criteria, and research development.
Upon her retirement in 1975, Hoffman was named professor emeritus in recognition of her years
of service and outstanding contributions to the University of Washington. Acknowledged for her
remarkable achievements, Katherine Hoffman is also remembered for her warmth, compassion,
and ability to relate to others.
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