AACN Mourns Passing of former U.S. Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson

AACN is mourning the loss of former Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas, who died December 31, 2023, at the age of 88. She was a woman of many firsts — the first Black head psychiatric nurse at the Dallas VA hospital, the first nurse elected to Congress, and the first African American and first woman to chair the House Science, Space and Technology Committee.

In 2022 at the Academic Nursing Leadership Conference, AACN honored Rep. Johnson with The Lois Capps Policy Luminary Award. She was recognized for being a champion of nursing, including introducing resolutions recognizing National Nurses Week, supporting Title VIII Nursing Workforce Development Programs, and being one of the original supporters of the Future Advancement of Academic Nursing (FAAN) Act. The Congresswoman was unable to appear in person but sent an acceptance video in which she thanked AACN for her honor. Read more about the life of Rep. Johnson here.