Margaret E. Bailey

Col Margaret E. Bailey
Born	(1915-12-25)December 25, 1915[1] Selma, Alabama, US
Died	August 28, 2014(2014-08-28) (aged 98)[2] Washington, D.C., US
Buried	Arlington National Cemetery Section 55 Site 1081[2][3]
Allegiance	United States
Branch	United States Army
Years of service	1944 – 1971[4]
Rank	Colonel
Unit	United States Army Nurse Corps
Conflict	World War II
Awards	Legion of Merit Army Commendation Medal World War II Victory Medal American Campaign Medal National Defense Medal

Margaret E. Bailey (December 25, 1915 – August 28, 2014) was a United States Army Nurse Corps colonel. She served in the Corps for 27 years, from July 1944 to July 1971, nine of which she served in France, Germany, and Japan. During her career, Bailey advanced from a second lieutenant to colonel, the highest achievable military rank in the Nurse Corps. She set several landmarks for black nurses in US military, becoming the first black lieutenant colonel in 1964, the first black chief nurse in a mixed, non-segregated unit in 1966, and the first black full colonel in 1967.

During World War II, Bailey treated German prisoners of war. In the later years of her military career, she actively worked with minority organizations and advocated to increase black participation in the Corps. After her retirement from the Army, she served as a consultant to the Surgeon General in the Nixon administration, working to increase the number of minorities in the Nurse Corps. For many years, she made speeches supporting equal participation in United States Army across the United States.