In 1957, Corliss was hired as a nurse at Plainfield's Muhlenberg Hospital. She was the first black nurse on staff, and her hiring required a special meeting of the Board of Directors. She remained at Muhlenberg until 1968, when she left to take a job as an instructor at the School of Nursing at Middlesex County College (MCC) in Edison, New Jersey. Corliss became an Associate Professor at MCC as well as the teacher's union representative, a role she embraced with passion and tenacity. While teaching a full course load at MCC, she earned a Masters degree in Education at New York University, taking classes at night and on the weekends. Corliss retired in 1991.
In February 2018, in a ceremony at the Governor's Mansion in Princeton, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy presented Corliss with a Legacy Award for her professional and lifetime achievements. Corliss Henry died on 14 April 2020 of complications from Covid-19. She is predeceased by Preston Henry, died 1 September 2012, and is survived by her son Steve and his partner, Philip Shneidman; son, Bruce Henry, and his wife, Jacqueline; and their daughters, Sarah and Ashleigh, son-in-law Ben Wauer, as well as numerous nieces and nephews. |
