Person    | Female  Born 3/2/1821  Died 31/5/1910

Elizabeth Blackwell

Categories: Medicine

Countries: France, USA

The first woman to be accepted by the register of the General Medical Council, and also the first woman to receive a medical degree in the United States. Born in Bristol, her family emigrated to the U.S.A. in 1832. After many unsuccessful attempts to get into medical school, she eventually graduated in 1849, first in her class of 150 students.

She travelled to Europe, where she was admitted to La Maternité in Paris, and St Bartholomew's Hospital in London. Back in America, she established the New York Infirmary for Indigent Women and Children. 1868 she returned to Britain and lived in London. 1875-7 she lectured on genecology at the London School of Medicine for Women.

Moved to Hastings in 1879 where she campaigned for women's education and suffrage. Died  at home there in Rock House, Exmouth Place. Buried in Scotland. Hastings Women's History has a good page about her. She figures on the Wikipedia page listing the first women in various medical contexts.

She had a strong personality, and could be quite acerbic about others in her profession, generally women, and Florence Nightingale in particular.

Credit for this entry to: Alan Patient of www.plaquesoflondon.co.uk

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Elizabeth Blackwell

Commemorated ati

Elizabeth Blackwell

On their excellent page about Blackwell Hastings Women's History have a parag...

Read More

Other Subjects

Dr Robert Knight

Dr Robert Knight

Like Keats Knight trained in medicine at Guy's Hospital. Knight failed to write any acclaimed odes but, unlike Keats, went on to work at Guy's throughout his career as a consultant physician with a...

Person, Medicine

1 memorial
St George's Hospital

St George's Hospital

Set up when the entire medical staff of the Westminster Hospital resigned in a dispute concerning the new location for that hospital. St George's was established in Knightsbridge for the country ai...

Group, Medicine

3 memorials
James Hutchins

James Hutchins

Wardmaster at Chelsea Hospital.

Person, Medicine

War dead non-military, WW2
1 memorial
Dr. Edward Adrian Wilson

Dr. Edward Adrian Wilson

Born Cheltenham. One of Scott's four companions who died with him, returning from the South Pole. Cheltenham honours Wilson with a statue on the Promenade and an exhibition in the town museum.

Person, Exploring, Medicine, Arctic & Antarctic

2 memorials