Consuelo Ornelas-García was recently added to the South Shore Wall of Legends at the Indiana Welcome Center in Hammond.
Ornelas-García was the first Hispanic nurse in Northwest Indiana. She was also the first in a managerial position at the U.S. Steel Medical Department and Gary Tube Works.
The South Shore Wall of Legends pays tribute to individuals who have significantly impacted Northwest Indiana. Past inductees include Jean Shepherd, Orville Redenbacher and The Jackson 5.
In addition to inducting Ornelas-García, officials unveiled the rebuilt, interactive Wall of Legends. The digital redesign showcases inductees. A section of the wall is interchangeable, allowing a new legend to be showcased periodically.
“As the space in the Indiana Welcome Center was becoming more and more limited, the 20th anniversary was the perfect time to digitize the Wall of Legends,” said Phil Taillon, South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority president/CEO, in a press release. “Now the stories of these local legends will be shared and celebrated for generations to come.”
A panel of judges representing colleges and universities in Northwest Indiana selects legends inductees. The judges choose legends for their courage, exploration, creativity and innovation.
Ornelas-García was born in Gary in 1922 as one of ten children. She attended St. Mary Mercy Hospital School of Nursing, becoming the first in her family to get an education in nursing. Ornelas-García joined the U.S. Cadet Nurse Corps Program during World War II. She started her career as a charge nurse at St. Mary Mercy Hospital and later became a head nurse at U.S. Steel, Gary Works.
In 1996, National Assoc. of Hispanic Nurses honored Ornelas-García as the first Hispanic nurse in Northwest Indiana. Her family created a scholarship for Hispanic individuals pursuing nursing. After passing away in 2004, Ornelas-García donated her body to Indiana University's anatomical education program to further scientific research and medical advancements.
