Navigating international fellowships : the journey of Iranian nurses from Rockefeller scholarships to nursing leadership in Iran 1950s–1960s

This thesis explores the experiences of four Iranian nurses who received Rockefeller Foundation (RF) fellowships in the 1950s and 1960s to pursue advanced nursing education in the United States. Despite the central role that these nurses played in shaping the nursing profession in Iran, their contributions have largely been overlooked in both Iranian and international nursing historiography. This thesis employs historical research methodology and draws on primary archival materials from the Rockefeller Foundation Archives. I argue that Rockefeller Foundation fellowships significantly contributed to the rise of Iranian nursing leaders in the mid-twentieth century. While Rockefeller Foundation fellowships were pivotal in advancing Iranian nursing leadership, this process remained closely linked to continued dependence on American nursing models and expertise. Though these fellowships enabled Iranian nurses to take on key leadership roles, the nursing profession in Iran during the 1950s and 1960s continued to reflect strong American influence in its standards and training. The thesis highlights the necessity of understanding the broader geopolitical and sociopolitical context to fully appreciate the transformation of nursing and healthcare in mid-twentieth-century Iran.