Biography and Accomplishments of Elizabeth Blackwell
Biography and Accomplishments of Elizabeth Blackwell
On January 23, 1849, a young woman walked across the stage of the Presbyterian Church in Geneva, NY. She was given a degree of Doctor of Medicine from the Geneva Medical College. And she happened to be the very first woman to earn the degree. Her name was Elizabeth Blackwell.
Elizabeth Blackwell was born in England on February 3, 1821. She received her childhood education by private tutor. In 1832, her father, Samuel Blackwell, moved her family to the United States. They lived first in New York and later moved to Cincinnati. Her father was actively involved in social reform and abolitionism. He also had many businesses that did not do well for the family financially. After his death, Elizabeth and her mother and two sisters opened a private school in order to support their family. In the beginning, Elizabeth had no intention of going into medicine. It was only after a female friend of Elizabeth’s had gotten sick and remarked to her that she wished she had a female doctor to consult with had she began considering becoming a doctor herself. Her father’s ideas of radicalism and social reform probably influenced her to make the decision as well. She was also said to have been looking for a reason to prevent any chance of future marriage.
Since no woman was allowed to go to medical school, she had to teach herself privately and under the assistance of a doctor in North Carolina whose family she was living with. To the rest of the world she was a teacher. She liked the idea of the struggle and fight against she had ahead of her to get into a medical school. In 1847, she began that great struggle. She applied and was rejected by all the leading medical schools. When the Geneva Medical College received her application the school asked the students whether or not they should let a woman attend the college. All of the students thinking it was a practical joke agreed to let her in. When they realized she was serious, some of the students and people of Geneva, New York were upset. The students unanimously voted to allow her the opportunity to study without their interference. They held to...