146) Rebecca Lee Crumpler

146) Rebecca Lee Crumpler

The First African American Female Medical Doctor in the United States

Born: 8 February 1831, Christiana, Delaware, United States of America

Died: 9 March 1895, Hyde Park, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America

In 1883 she published her Book of Medical Discourses—one of the first medical publications by an African American.

Rebecca earned her medical degree in 1864.

She spent eight years first working as a nurse (and because this occurred before the first nursing school opened in 1873, she did so without any prior medical training) before enrolling in medical school in 1860.

In 1865 she moved to Richmond, Virginia to work in the postwar south providing medical care to former slaves.

Very little else is known about her and no images of her survive (despite what Google would have you think).

Badges Earned:
Find a Grave Marked

Sources:

https://cfmedicine.nlm.nih.gov/physicians/biography_73.html

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/197241706/rebecca-crumpler