March 17, 1927
Bakersfield
Frustrated at being rejected for employment as a nurse by Kern Hospital, twenty-one year old Gladys Maryon Lindley came up with a plan – become a man!
Dressed in men’s clothing and answering to the name “Billyâ€, Gladys presented herself at Kern Hospital once again. Instead of seeking employment as a nurse, “Billy†applied for the job of a male orderly this time and was hired on the spot.
Gladys went undetected until three months later, when the secret of her identity was revealed by one of her former teachers. Recognizing “Billy†at the hospital, the teacher ratted her out to hospital administrators. Gladys – aka Billy – resigned immediately.
Perhaps naively, the LA Times reported that “a real desire to do hospital work was given as the explanation of the masqueradeâ€.
