
Elizabeth Blackwell
trailblazing medical doctor
Elizabeth Blackwell initially hated the idea of studying the body + its ailments. But when a dying friend confided that a female physician might have eased her suffering, Elizabeth had a change of heart. The fact that med schools still wouldn't admit women only intensified her determination. "The moral fight," she said, "possessed immense attraction for me."
Despite resistance, the British-born Elizabeth became the first woman to earn a medical degree in the US. As a doctor, she found her niche operating a hospital for poor women and children. And, running a med school for women, so that others could follow in her footsteps.
known for
breaking barriers | first woman to graduate from an American medical school
pushing physical education for girls | women should know their bodies
inherited activism | parents raised their 9 children to deplore injustice
1847 | admitted to med school {male student body thought her application was a joke}
1857 | opened the New York Infirmary for Indigent Women and Children ~ with sister Emily
Late 1860s | set up medical school for women
from | to
shy, tenacious girl who hated science | the first female doctor in America
born on
February 3, 1821
born in
Bristol, England
birth name
Elizabeth Blackwell
also known as
Little Shy
~ her father's nickname for her ~
citizen of
The United Kingdom and The United States
daughter of
Hannah Lane
Samuel Blackwell
~ sugar refiner ~
sister of
4 sisters | Hannah, Marian, Emily + Sarah
4 brothers | Samuel, Henry, John + George
lived in
Cincinnati, Ohio
London
New York
Paris
educated at
Geneva Medical College {currently known as Hobart and William Smith Colleges}
~ New York | 1847 - 1849 ~
loved studying
history + metaphysics
~ "The very thought of dwelling on the physical structure of the body and its various ailments filled me with disgust." ~
advocate for
women
the indigent
slaves
influenced by
Hippolyte Blot
~ a resident physician at La Maternité where she interned ~
Harriet Beecher Stowe
~ thought being a doctor was impractical but promising ~
in her spare time
petitioned father with extravagant requests ~ like climbing out on the roof ~ in writing
wrote children's stories ~ in German
became instant friends with Florence Nightingale
~friendship floundered when Elizabeth declined offer to run Florence's nursing school and trashed her friend's book~
{“I see how difficult it would have been for me to do her work, the character of our minds is so different”.}
died on
May 31, 1910
image credit
National Institute of Health | public domain
collapse bio bits"With a firm faith in infinite good and immortality, the most wearisome life becomes a source of triumphant thanksgiving."
Pioneer Work in Opening the Medical Profession to Women: Autobiographical | july 1846
"We have learned that ceaseless activity is the law of life in every realm of Nature."
The Laws of Life, with specific reference to the physical education of girls | 1859
"We cannot examine the smallest and most insignificant objects in nature, without being lost in wonder at the rich uses which are developed from its tiny framework."
The Laws of Life, with specific reference to the physical education of girls | 1859
"Noble work! Welcome struggle, suffering, torture even, if our path lie through them..."
The Laws of Life, with specific reference to the physical education of girls | 1859
"It is not easy to be a pioneer—but oh, it is fascinating! I would not trade one moment, even the worst moment, for all the riches in the world."
Pioneer Work in Opening the Medical Profession to Women | january 1895
"When I came here, I did not care one straw what people thought of my personal appearance, I dressed entirely from a principle of self respect; now, I sometimes dress for others and feel a slight satisfaction if the glass tells me that I shall not scare people."
Pioneer Work in Opening the Medical Profession to Women: Elizabeth Blackwell autobiography | 1895
curated with care by Kathleen Murray {september 2014}
Geneva Medical College
Elizabeth caused a stir when the student body at Geneva Medical College approved her admittance ~ thinking it was a joke. She graduated in 1849 ~ the first woman in the US to graduate from med school.
wikipedia
The anatomy lecture room at the Woman's Medical College of New York Infirmary
Frustrated that the women in her infirmary could not go to med school, Elizabeth established the Women's Medical College of the New York Infirmary in 1868, opening to 15 students + 9 faculty, including Elizabeth.
Library of Congress | Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper | april 16, 1870