Rebecca Lee Crumpler | |
|---|---|
| Born | Rebecca Davis February 8, 1831 |
| Died | March 9, 1895 (aged 64) |
| Resting place | Fairview Cemetery, Boston, Massachusetts |
| Alma mater | New England Female Medical College (Now Boston University) |
| Known for | First African American woman to receive a medical degree |
| Spouses |
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| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Medicine |
Rebecca Lee Crumpler (born Rebecca Davis, February 8, 1831 – March 9, 1895) was an American physician, nurse and author. After studying at the New England Female Medical College, in 1864 she became the first African American woman to become a doctor of medicine in the United States.[a] Crumpler was also one of the first female physician authors in the nineteenth century.[4] In 1883, she published A Book of Medical Discourses. The book has two parts that cover the prevention and cure of infantile bowel complaints, and the life and growth of human beings. Dedicated to nurses and mothers, it focuses on maternal and pediatric medical care and was among the first publications written by an African American on the subject of medicine.
Crumpler graduated from medical college at a time when very few African Americans were permitted to attend medical college or publish books. Crumpler first practiced medicine in Boston, primarily serving poor women and children. After the American Civil War ended in 1865, she moved to Richmond, Virginia, believing treating women and children was an ideal way to perform missionary work. Crumpler worked for the Freedmen's Bureau to provide medical care for freedmen and freedwomen.
Crumpler was subject to "intense racism" and sexism while practicing medicine. During this time, many men believed that a nearly immutable difference in average brain size between men and women explained the difference in social, political, and intellectual attainment.[5] Because of this, many male physicians did not respect Crumpler, and would not approve her prescriptions for patients or listen to her medical opinions.
Crumpler later moved back to Boston, where she continued to treat women and children. The Rebecca Lee Pre-Health Society at Syracuse University and the Rebecca Lee Society, one of the first medical societies for African American women, were named after her. Her Joy Street house in Beacon Hill is a stop on the Boston Women's Heritage Trail.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
NLM Biographywas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
Gateswas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Vernon L. Farmer; Evelyn Shepherd Wynn (2012). Voices of Historical and Contemporary Black American Pioneers. ABC-CLIO. pp. 11–12. ISBN 978-0-313-39224-5. Retrieved May 3, 2013.
- ^ "Trailblazing BU Alum Gets a Gravestone 130 Years after Her Death". Boston University. August 10, 2020. Retrieved January 3, 2021.
- ^ Romanes, George John (July 1887). "Mental Differences of Men and Women". Popular Science Monthly. Vol. 31. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
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