Lucy Hobbs Taylor | |
|---|---|
 Taylor in 1903 | |
| Born | March 14, 1833 Constable, New York, U.S. |
| Died | October 3, 1910 (aged 77) Lawrence, Kansas, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Ohio College of Dental Surgery |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Dentistry |
Lucy Hobbs Taylor (March 14, 1833 – October 3, 1910) was an American dentist, known for being the first woman to graduate from dental school (Ohio College of Dental Surgery in 1866).[1]
She was originally denied admittance to the Eclectic Medical College in Cincinnati, Ohio, owing to her gender. Due to this, a professor in the college agreed to tutor her and encouraged her to practice dentistry.[2]
Once again, she applied to a dentistry school, this time Ohio College of Dentistry. She was once again refused admittance due to her gender. From there, a college graduate agreed to tutor her, allowing her to continue her studies towards dentistry.[3] In 1861, she decided to open her own practice instead of attempting to get into a college once again. After a year, she moved to Iowa and opened a dentistry practice. This allowed her to be accepted as a dentist without the diploma and become part of the Iowa State Dental Society.[3]
As part of this she was also serving as the group's delegate to the American Dental Associate Convention, only three years after moving to Iowa. With great coincidence, that same year (1865) the Ohio College of Dentistry decided to waive the policy prohibiting women being admitted to the institution.[3] Instantly, Taylor enrolled as a senior student thanks to her dentistry experience she had accumulated over the years. She graduated in 1866, becoming the first woman in the world to graduate from a dental college,[1] and to receive a doctorate in dentistry.[3]
- ^ a b "Missouri Women in the Health Sciences – Health Professions – "Women in Dentistry" by E.N. King". Beckerexhibits.wustl.edu. Retrieved August 4, 2012.
- ^ "Lucy Hobbs Taylor – Kansapedia – Kansas Historical Society". kshs.org. Retrieved December 1, 2017.
- ^ a b c d "Dr. Lucy Hobbs Taylor: A Lawrence, Kansas Pioneer in the History of Women in Dentistry| The Watkins Community Museum of History". watkinsmuseum.org. Archived from the original on December 2, 2017. Retrieved December 1, 2017.