Dr Elizabeth Blackwell

Elizabeth Blackwell was a pioneering figure in the field of medicine and a prominent advocate for women's rights. She became the first woman to earn a medical degree in the United States and is recognized as the first female physician in the country.

Elizabeth Blackwell was born on February 3, 1821, in Bristol, England. In 1832, when Elizabeth was 11 years old, the Blackwell family immigrated to the United States and settled in Cincinnati, Ohio. They faced financial difficulties, and Elizabeth worked as a teacher and governess to support herself and her siblings. She was determined to pursue a career in medicine, despite societal norms and opposition.

Despite facing numerous obstacles and prejudice, Blackwell was determined to pursue a career in medicine. She faced rejection from multiple medical schools due to her gender but was eventually accepted to Geneva Medical College (now part of Hobart and William Smith Colleges) in upstate New York in 1847, becoming the first woman to be accepted as a medical student. 

When Elizabeth Blackwell applied to Geneva Medical College,  the dean decided to hold a vote in the class she was applying to. If just one of the 150 male students objected, she would be rejected. All the 150 young men voted to accept her.

On January 23, 1849, Elizabeth Blackwell became the first woman to qualify as a doctor of medicine in America when she was awarded her M.D. by the Geneva Medical College. She graduated at the top of her class.

After graduating, Dr. Blackwell traveled to Paris to undertake advanced studies. However, she was rejected from many hospitals due to her gender and she was unable to pursue her medical exams. The only option was to enter a large maternity hospital as a student midwife, where she fell sick resulting in the loss of sight in one eye, leaving her without hope of becoming a surgeon.

Portrait of Elizabeth Blackwell by Joseph Stanley Kozlowski, 1905. Syracuse University Medical School collection

After convalescence, Dr. Blackwell went to London, where she was permitted to continue her studies. On her return to New York City in 1853, Dr. Blackwell was not permitted to practice in any of the hospitals she applied to, so she started the New York Infirmary for Women and Children, aided by her sister Emily who had also passed her medical exams. They trained Union Army nurses during the Civil War then together they founded a medical college for women in her hospital.

The next year, Dr. Blackwell moved to England where she spent the remainder of her life teaching and working to increase medical opportunities there for women. Back in 1859 she had placed her name on the new British Medical Register, thus becoming Europe’s first modern female doctor.

Blackwell's impact extended beyond her own medical practice. She actively promoted women's rights and advocated for female participation in the medical profession.  Blackwell also played a crucial role in establishing the Women's Medical College of the New York Infirmary in 1868.

Blackwell formed close friendships and professional collaborations with other women. She maintained a close relationship with her sister Emily Blackwell, who was also a physician and played a significant role in supporting Elizabeth's endeavors. Elizabeth also had close friendships with notable women of her time, including suffragist and abolitionist leaders such as Susan B. Anthony and Lucy Stone.

In her later years, Elizabeth Blackwell faced health challenges, including a severe stroke that left her partially paralyzed. She returned to England in 1907 and spent her final years there, residing in Hastings, Sussex. Elizabeth Blackwell passed away on May 31, 1910, in Hastings aged 89.

Dr. Blackwell was commemorated on a U.S. postage stamp in 1974 (see below), designed by Joseph Stanley Kozlowski.