▁that ▁she ▁take ▁the ▁exam ▁with ▁the ▁white ▁students ▁and ▁became ▁the ▁first ▁African - American ▁to ▁D . C . ▁to ▁pass ▁the ▁exam . ▁ ▁Her ▁first ▁job ▁was ▁as ▁a ▁private - d ut y ▁nur se . ▁Later , ▁she ▁worked ▁at ▁Prov ident ▁Hospital ▁in ▁Baltimore , ▁Maryland , ▁and ▁completed ▁additional ▁courses ▁at ▁Columbia ▁University . ▁ ▁American ▁Red ▁Cross ▁Though ▁she ▁had ▁been ▁initially ▁refused ▁to ▁the ▁Red ▁Cross ▁on ▁the ▁basis ▁of ▁race ▁she ▁per se ver ed ▁and ▁was ▁accepted ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 8 ▁as ▁the ▁first ▁African ▁American ▁in ▁the ▁Red ▁Cross ▁N urs ing ▁Service . ▁ ▁However , ▁this ▁was ▁hardly ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁disc rim ination ▁faced ▁by ▁Elli ott . ▁When ▁World ▁War ▁I ▁came ▁she ▁signed ▁up ▁for ▁and ▁was ▁refused ▁by ▁the ▁Army ▁Nur se ▁Corps . ▁Her ▁white ▁colle agues ▁were ▁all ▁automatically ▁reward ed ▁Red ▁Cross ▁p ins ▁that ▁allowed ▁them ▁to ▁transfer ▁to ▁the ▁Corps ▁and ▁help ▁with ▁the ▁war ▁effort . ▁Elli ott ' s ▁pin ▁arrived ▁late ▁and ▁displayed ▁" 1 A " ▁design ating ▁her ▁as ▁the ▁first ▁African - American ▁nur se ▁and ▁thus ▁unable ▁to ▁join . ▁The ▁A ▁system ▁stayed ▁in ▁effect ▁until ▁ 1 9 4 9 . ▁Elli ott ▁refused ▁to ▁be ▁defeated ▁and ▁contributed ▁to ▁the ▁war ▁effort ▁through ▁n urs ing ▁soldiers ▁in ▁Tennessee , ▁but ▁was ▁never ▁able ▁to ▁go ▁over se as . ▁ ▁Frances ▁Re ed ▁Elli ott