Rare Book & Manuscript Library. She became the first woman on the British Medical Register, which allowed her to practice there. Elizabeth Blackwell died at the age of 89 on May 31, 1910 of a stroke at her home in Hastings. She perceived herself as a wealthy gentlewoman who had the leisure to dabble in reform and in intellectual activities – the income from her American investments supported her. With a solid background and determination, Blackwell applied to 13 medical schools. The only opportunity open to her there was to train to become a midwife. [5], In 1874, Blackwell established a women's medical school in London with Sophia Jex-Blake, who had been a student at the New York Infirmary years earlier. Letter to Samuel C. Blackwell. In Asheville, Blackwell lodged with the respected Reverend John Dickson, who happened to have been a physician before he became a clergyman. (Blackwell Family Papers, Library of Congress). The medical faculty at Geneva treated her application as a joke. Blackwell slowly gained acceptance at Blockley, although some young resident physicians still would walk out and refuse to assist her in diagnosing and treating her patients. Elizabeth Blackwell’s parents were Quakers. Her eye became infected and Blackwell went blind in that eye. However, she soon found herself at home in medical school. The college opened with fifteen students and a faculty of nine. [23] She was also highly critical of many of the women's reform and hospital organisations in which she played no role, calling some of them "quack auspices". She campaigned heavily against licentiousness, prostitution and contraceptives, arguing instead for the rhythm method. [4], Blackwell settled in England in the 1870s and continued with working on expanding the profession of medicine for women, influencing as many as 476 women to become registered medical professionals in England alone. They put the issue up to a vote by the 150 male students of the class with the stipulation that if one student objected, Blackwell would be turned away. She exchanged letters with Lady Byron about women's rights issues, and became very close friends with Florence Nightingale, with whom she discussed opening and running a hospital together. Blackwell was well connected, both in the United States and in the United Kingdom. [5] When commenting on the young men trying to court her during her time in Kentucky, she said: "...do not imagine I am going to make myself a whole just at present; the fact is I cannot find my other half here, but only about a sixth, which would not do. She was never interested in marriage, but she adopted an orphan girl named Katherine “Kitty” Barry. The hospital gained a good reputation and also became a center for nurse training. The ability for women to enter the medical profession slowly improved between the mid-1800’s and 1900. The patient load doubled in the second year. Out of desperation, she applied to twelve "country schools". Elizabeth was born on February 3, 1821, in Bristol, England, to Samuel Blackwell, who was a sugar refiner, and his wife Hannah (Lane) Blackwell. (Blackwell Family Papers, Library of Congress). The Guardians of the Poor, the city commission that ran Blockley Almshouse, granted her permission to work there, albeit not without some struggle. Address on the Medical Education of Women, List of first female physicians by country. Blackwell became a teacher, but she didn’t find it intellectually stimulating enough. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Semmelweis became depressed, and in 1865, he was lured into an insane asylum. 29 Jan 1859. "Three 19th-Century Women Doctors: Elizabeth Blackwell, Mary Walker, and Sarah Loguen Fraser", "Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell's Graduation: An Eye-Witness Account by Margaret Munro De Lancey", "Elizabeth Blackwell Letters, circa 1850–1884", National Women's Hall of Fame, Elizabeth Blackwell, "Saturday's Google Doodle Honors Elizabeth Blackwell", "Jill Platner, Cindy Sherman, and More Women of Noho Gather to Honor America's First Female Doctor", "First female doctor honored in Greenwich Village", "Changing the Face of Medicine | Dr. Emily Blackwell", Elizabeth Blackwell Collection on New York Heritage Digital Collections, Some places and memories related to Elizabeth Blackwell, Elizabeth Blackwell at the Hobart and William Smith Colleges Archives, Elizabeth Blackwell Resources Available in Hobart and William Smith Colleges Archives, Chronological Bibliography of Selected Scholarly Works by Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell, Elizabeth Blackwell at winningthevote.org, Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography. Elizabeth Blackwell’s parents were Quakers. [3] This perspective was deemed by the medical community as "feminine".[3]. Elizabeth was the third of nine children in a wealthy and deeply religious family, who worshipped in an independent Protestant church. AUDIE MURPHY (1924 – 1971) Most Decorated Soldier in World War II & Actor, PAUL POPENOE (1888 -1979) First Marriage Counselor and Eugenicist, http://www.nlm.nih.gov/hmd/blackwell/admission.html, http://www.nlm.nih.gov/hmd/blackwell/graduation.html, https://forgottennewsmakers.com/2010/10/13/elizabeth-blackwell-1821-1910-first-female-doctor/, Emily S » Blog Archive » Interview for Eminent Person, http://www.brycchancarey.com/abolition/blackwell.htm. In fact, she was accepted in bizarre circumstances. (Blackwell Family Papers, Library of Congress), Elizabeth Blackwell. In addition to the demands of a pioneering, practicing doctor, Blackwell found the time to write six books focusing on hygiene, the medical treatment for women, raising healthy children, and her autobiography. [5], In 1853, Blackwell established a small dispensary near Tompkins Square. The college selected students using entrance exams and offered a three year graded course, clinical experience, and an independent examining board. Upon reaching Philadelphia, Blackwell boarded with Dr. William Elder and studied anatomy privately with Dr. Jonathan M. Allen as she attempted to get her foot in the door at any medical school in Philadelphia. The institution accepted both in- and outpatients and served as a nurse's training facility. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. He believed that each child, including his girls, should be given the opportunity for unlimited development of their talents and gifts. Medical school expenses would be around $3,000. They unanimously agreed to admit her because they thought her application was a joke. [5] She had two older siblings, Anna and Marian, and would eventually have six younger siblings: Samuel (married Antoinette Brown), Henry (married Lucy Stone), Emily (third woman in the U.S. to get a medical degree), Sarah Ellen (a writer), John and George. Elizabeth enjoyed her childhood and was very happy. In 1853, she established The New York Dispensary for Poor Women and Children. At that time only 6,000 of the 104,000 city population had the vote. [6] Blackwell's abolition work took a back seat during these years, most likely due to the academy. Eventually she won over her fellow students by her intelligence and commitment, but she was shunned by the citizens of Geneva who believed her career choice was very inappropriate. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! They believed in equality and educated their sons and daughters equally. Nightingale wanted Blackwell to turn her focus to training nurses, and could not see the legitimacy of training female physicians. Her mother, Hannah Lane, came from a family of prosperous merchants. [5], In 1907, while holidaying in Kilmun, Scotland, Blackwell fell down a flight of stairs, and was left almost completely mentally and physically disabled. At the age of 74, in 1895 she published her autobiography, Pioneer Work in Opening the Medical Profession to Women. Age 30, Blackwell returned to New York in 1851. Shortly after settling  there her father died, leaving the family without income. Rioting broke out when parliament’s upper house rejected reform of the voting system. With the family’s survival at stake, Elizabeth, age 17, and her older sisters Anna and Marian started a school in their home – The Cincinnati English & French Academy for Young Ladies. The students believed Blackwell’s application was a practical joke played by a rival college’s students. After learning some medical theory at college, she returned to Philadelphia for a summer residence in a charity hospital – Blockley Almshouse. Two institutions honour Elizabeth Blackwell as an alumna: Since 1949, the American Medical Women's Association has awarded the Elizabeth Blackwell Medal annually to a female physician. She said later, "The idea of winning a doctor's degree gradually Samuel was active in the abolitionist movement and the family attended anti-slavery fairs and meetings. Even though Blackwell was a busy professional woman, something was missing from her life. [19], After leaving for Britain in 1869, Blackwell diversified her interests, and was active both in social reform and authorship. Her sister, Emily, and another qualified physician, Marie Zackrzewska helped run the infirmary. Were you successful? Thee cannot gain admission to these schools. Samuel was a professor of medicine, who encouraged her, tutored her, and allowed her to borrow his books and continue her intensive efforts to become a physician. Elizabeth Blackwell Just a few weeks after arriving in Cincinnati, in August 1838, Samuel died of fever. Letter. But, her friend’s request haunted her, and she decided to go for it. In the summer between her two terms at Geneva, she returned to Philadelphia, stayed with Dr. Elder, and applied for medical positions in the area to gain clinical experience. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. So, when Blackwell decided to be a doctor, her family was totally supportive. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Elizabeth_Blackwell&oldid=982551310, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, 1881 "Medicine and Morality" (published in, Morantz, Regina. [14], In April, 1849, Blackwell made the decision to continue her studies in Europe. The British artist Edith Holden, whose Unitarian family were Blackwell's relatives, was given the middle name "Blackwell" in her honor. Images digitally enhanced and colorized by this website. She boarded with a liberal Quaker physician and took private anatomy lessons. 1 http://www.nlm.nih.gov/hmd/blackwell/admission.html, 2 http://www.nlm.nih.gov/hmd/blackwell/graduation.html, http://womenshistory.about.com/cs/medicine/a/blackwell_emin.htm, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Blackwell, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hobart_and_William_Smith_Colleges, http://campus.hws.edu/his/blackwell/articles/oldnews.html, http://library.hws.edu/archives/pdfs/tripp.pdf, http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/mcc:@sum(@field(OTHER+@band(Blackwell,+Elizabeth++1821+1910+))+@field(SUBJ+@band(Blackwell,+Elizabeth++1821+1910+))), http://www.nlm.nih.gov/changingthefaceofmedicine/physicians/biography_35.html. She also took Marie Zakrzewska, a Polish woman pursuing a medical education, under her wing, serving as her preceptor in her pre-medical studies. During this time, Blackwell soothed her own doubts about her choice and her loneliness with deep religious contemplation. [37][38] For the event, Jill Platner, a jewelry designer, designed a Blackwell Collection of jewelry inspired by Elizabeth Blackwell. GETTING INTO MEDICAL SCHOOL          Blackwell’s first course of action was to write letters to several physicians to solicit their advice about applying to med school. [8], There was one slight controversy, however, in Blackwell's life related to her relationship with Alfred Sachs, a 26-year-old man from Virginia. [34], The artwork The Dinner Party features a place setting for Elizabeth Blackwell.[35]. She also was antimaterialist and did not believe in vivisections. HELPING OTHER WOMEN FOLLOW IN HER FOOTSTEPS       Back in the States, when the Civil War broke out, Blackwell helped create the Women’s Central Association of Relief, training nurses to treat the wounded soldiers. “She is a pretty little specimen of the feminine gender,” said the Boston Medical Journal, reporting her age at twenty-six… She comes into the class with great composure, takes off her bonnet and puts it under the seat, exposing a fine phrenology.