Monica Baly

Monica Eileen Baly (24 May 1914 – 12 November 1998) was an English nurse, historian of nursing, and an advocate for social change.

Early life
Monica Baly studied at the St. Hilda's School for Girls in London.

Education and career
Baly trained in the London County Council Fever Hospital followed by professional nursing training at the Middlesex Hospital. She became a chief nursing officer in 1949 for the Royal College of Nursing. Baly was also an activist working toward fair living wages for nurses through the "Raise the Roof" campaign, which resulted in a 22% pay raise. Baly lectured on social policy and the history of nursing at the National Council of Nurses and authored Nursing and Social Change in 1973. She was made a Fellow of the Royal College of Nursing in 1986. She undertook a PhD in Nursing and Social Change, completing it at the age of 70.

Legacy
Baly founded and was the first Chair of the History of Nursing Society at the Royal College of Nursing, and founded a journal for nursing history. She left money for a scholarship in the area. The Monica Baly Fund continues to offer small grants to support research into the history of nursing and midwifery by registered nurses and midwives who might otherwise not be able to undertake this work.