Adah Belle Samuels Thoms made numerous contributions to the field of nursing, particularly in the areas of education and professional development. She was instrumental in the founding of the National Association of Colored Graduate Nurses (NACGN) in 1908, an organization that aimed to support African American nurses and fight for their rights. Thoms served as the association's acting president from 1916 to 1923 and played a crucial role in its efforts to integrate African American nurses into the American Red Cross and the U.S. Army Nurse Corps during World War I.
