The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Army Distinguished Service Medal to Contract Nurse Annie W. Goodrich, United States Army Nurse Corps, for exceptionally meritorious and distinguished services to the Government of the United States, in a duty of great responsibility during World War I. As organizer and First Dean of the Army School of Nursing, by her individual energy, ability, and breadth of vision, Contract Nurse Goodrich enrolled, trained, and placed at the disposal of the Medical Department of the Army 1,800 selected student nurses. These young women were of inestimable assistance to the Army Nurse Corps at a time when there was a shortage of nurses and an enormous influx of patients in the Army hospitals because of the influenza epidemic. Through her efforts there was put into operation a system of training of student nurses which contributed in a remarkable degree to the success of the Medical Department in the saving of hundreds of lives during the World War.