Lorna E. Chambers-Andrade

Nurse administrator and nurse Lorna E. Chambers-Andrade was born on March 3, 1949 in Boston, Massachusetts to Oriel and Curtis Chambers. Chambers-Andrade received her A.S. degree in nursing from Lasell Junior College in Newton, Massachusetts in 1972, her B.S. degree in nursing from Boston State College in 1978, her M.Ed. degree in education administration from Cambridge College in Boston in 1986, and both her M.B.A. degree and her Ph.D. degree in health administration and management from the Union College Graduate School in Schenectady, New York in 1993.

Chambers-Andrade worked as a nurse for over forty-five years at acute care and teaching hospitals around the Boston area. At the Windemere Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, Chambers-Andrade co-founded the LPN nursing program with Upper Cape Cod Regional Education. Chambers-Andrade taught at numerous colleges and universities in the Boston area including Massachusetts Bay Community College, where she served as a professor of nursing education, and the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth, where she worked as a professor of gerontology. Chambers-Andrade also served as a professor and advisor at the Nathan Mayhew Seminars for over twelve years. After retiring from nursing and teaching, Chambers-Andrade continued to work as a consultant for the Windemere Nursing and Rehabilitation Center and Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. Chambers-Andrade is the co-owner of several shops in Edgartown, Massachusetts, including Bo-Peep’s Boutique.

In 1984, Chambers-Andrade became a member of the NAACP of Martha’s Vineyard, where she held numerous roles including vice president and served for over forty years. Former Massachusetts Governors Bill Weld and Paul Cellucci appointed Chambers-Andrade to the Massachusetts State Board of Nursing. Additionally, Chambers-Andrade served on the Duke County Health Council for over ten years. Chambers-Andrade became the first African American president of the Martha’s Vineyard League of Women Voters. Chambers-Andrade also founded the Martha’s Vineyard Health Education Collaborative in 2013. Chambers-Andrade worked on the advisory boards of numerous colleges and universities including the University of Massachusetts, Boston, the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth, Bunker Hill Community College, Endicott College, Regis College, and Roxbury Community College. Chambers-Andrade also served as a member of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, the Brookline Visiting Nurse Association, Martha’s Vineyard Visiting Nurses, Martha’s Vineyard Cottagers, the Edgartown Board of Trade, the Tisbury Board of Trade, the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing, Polar Bears, Inc., the advisory board of the US Slave Songs Project, Inc., and the New England Regional Black Nurses Association as president.

Throughout her career, Chambers-Andrade received numerous awards and honors including the Human and Civil Rights Award from the Massachusetts Teachers Association in 1996, a Certificate of Appreciation from Dorothy’s Corner in 2024, and a Distinguished Achiever Medal from the Association for the Study of African American Life and History in 2024. Chambers-Andrade also served as a member of the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society.

Lorna E. Chambers-Andrade was interviewed by The HistoryMakers on July 31, 2024.