“A Woman Can Practice Medicine”: Connecticut Women Physicians, 1865–1920

In 1920, Yale School of Medicine—the only medical school in Connecticut until the 1960s—graduated its first two women, Louise Farnam and Helen Scoville.1 At about the same time, the Medical School, just beginning to form academic departments, hired its first women in low level positions on the faculty.2 But for more than fifty years before that, women MDs were practicing medicine in Connecticut. Historians of medicine have recognized that the period before World War I was an encouraging one for women physicians, as their numbers increased, and their opportunities for education and community service grew. They gradually became accepted by male peers, while at the same time, they could practice a form of “maternalist medicine” which was an extension to the community of women's traditional nurturing roles in the home. They were active members of and supported by women's organizations.3 This was especially the case in Connecticut.The Nutmeg State was a relative backwater for women MDs compared to its neighbors, Massachusetts and New York, where women could earn medical degrees in-state and afterwards settle there. So who were the women who chose to practice in Connecticut before 1920? How many were there? Where were they educated? And what were they doing? And, as a very small minority among physicians in the state, to what extent were they accepted by their male colleagues and the towns in which they practiced? I suggest that while Connecticut did not attract many women doctors who had not already lived in the state or in neighboring states, the period under discussion was a relatively good one for women to practice here. Despite some hostility toward women as physicians in the 1860s and 1870s, it was comparatively easy for women to obtain a medical degree and open a practice. Medicine was not yet highly specialized, women doctors were part of women's organizations and had the support of other women in the community, and women doctors could take part in the growing number of Progressive Era public health projects related to women and children.Of these woman, the most accomplished was Kate Campbell Mead (1867–1941). She is known to historians of medicine as Kate Hurd-Mead, the author of two pioneering books on the history of women in medicine in the 1930s, but she is almost unknown in as a Connecticut of and state public and of the of Connecticut the she in to in she was Kate or Kate Campbell as I in She the only that I could on the history of women physicians in the state, of the Medical of in the of the Connecticut State Medical in the first MDs to practice in Connecticut in the state had medical male or could and practice form of Connecticut Medical in had the state to a in that the to doctors beginning practice in the the Medical of Yale was in and in it in the Medical to to practice in the state had to an in medicine and take a of at Yale or an years at a medical school was for a medical degree for practicing a the was that the could not to members of the and of in other states, the In the the were by other of physicians who to of medical of these were the of a of by In a of years in the by the and of the of by the was the to and in the of Yale these of or and state the who and some of the of the who the Connecticut Medical by the state in and the of the of by who the Connecticut Medical in as as the Connecticut Medical to they but to the in or was to and their medical and had medicine in Connecticut as or as other of of women at New of under physicians, and as and as a is women who a medical of of and who it is to the MDs other state of a that of to in women medical a of had in practice were as physicians in and practice the had to have an and a years they had to an is of other by the first women MDs to practice in state were in the were to the and most of the and organizations were more encouraging to women than the School of which was its in to as many as male who were Connecticut. And the New Medical and for in by and until most of the of the women in the the first in the state as a who practicing in in but of to who practice in in the same she the New Medical and for was a of the and a of the first of the very women physicians in the beginning who to medical that had to a medical school for as a and a as she a in She I to the did not to and the doctors not She was in the and in of was In in to New to take a and she at she had and in New of the first to practice in she for in in the New other of the to practice in New not to the first in to practice in she a good of she was a woman, but she and was a on the of the by Mead and as the first in the state, medicine in for fifty in New that at the of she had to to a by in a of the of the New Medical and for she to in practicing a years in New York, she and a a in where she in She in to that she a as a or but that was They and to in the of a that the two and practice is some of the most and in the to became in women's and other the the physicians the the Medical was in the the of which one as a or a in practice is on an to the of the of the and of the by and in was not for the At its a at Yale and an of and a that to in the practice of or other form of the same to by the and of the state Connecticut of of New Medical and for in became the of the most case of that of a was by the Medical in on the that have In to of the the in the state their in which was by the state in as the Connecticut Medical the of the first state in the in which a state medical who in New beginning in became of the Connecticut Medical in by in and by of in the in and the Connecticut Medical in as the Connecticut State Medical were to as as they an on as in the as of and Helen of New the physicians, to have the to practice. an New she was the and relative of She the Medical of the New in a school by and in for a in she in in In she a to an that the first she a and she was that until she a of beginning practice in in she was a of the Medical one of many medical that in the and she did not an active in the Kate Campbell Mead an of Connecticut women physicians in was a of she and a Connecticut War and in in the But practicing for she in to Medical of which she had in have to a very that a practice She was among the first of many of to practice in Connecticut. years in to she medical in and became the first two women to to the Connecticut Medical was public in Massachusetts the of women the Massachusetts Medical which until were for the of these two women the Connecticut state years was for a a degree a medical school to a other physicians practicing in Connecticut in the were and in Massachusetts and an of Medical of the New practice in in and was a of by she she had as a to medical she a for which a and growing Mead of that she was first medical in the state to school and was most in medical in of In she an in In she medicine in New who was related to the and medical school for a in she a as an at in New before to Connecticut in the to practice in and by in to she especially in the of in of the physicians to for and and she did a of medical in the Connecticut in school for a and to the Medical of the New a she more and medical in at the of Medical School, which had to women in two years of at the for and in and the New she an in and to a a She became the first of the Medical In she a she under the in she for a years to take education in New York, especially on the of were only a of women MDs in the women practice in the but they were by their In New first women an of by by the in was the of a and She and was in was that she the New School for some years practicing as a of state, she an in she practice in New and the New Medical She in and practice until health of a of women in a history of the in was to one of the physicians in New a in New in of in the of women is was the and and a among have the women or or some male but they were to medical and not as by their male and their women physicians did not male medical and many women MDs were in Connecticut in I have a and of women who for at years in the state and many who of and more state more women who in Connecticut. number of women physicians at on what and who is as a physicians, one by at for the but the compared at by the state, the was a by a of one of the medical a of male and who to part of the medical In before the of and the state, and medical the medical number of women in the two in to in and afterwards to a women doctors had just before Yale was women doctors and women in and as male women in the in the state, especially in New and by at other Medical and of the beginning in the Medical beginning in and the Connecticut and and as as and the which the physicians I In women women the were the most was of of a medical in New York, who was of the Connecticut Medical in the She was in of the I state in were for and which were to the State of of these were by the state the the Connecticut Medical and the Connecticut Medical the Connecticut and by the of a of as was in the and the was very of these women who had an but did not or practice in was in and a of of in in She to practice to in and to first to and to she was not and did not she for the it as she to in a number of especially the Connecticut and the Connecticut She was the only to a in the at the state did women medical their before Yale women in women MDs in Connecticut had to obtain their degrees of to the period 1920, the of was it was relatively easy for a to obtain an for medical in period did not a degree before medical of the women who their MDs and in Connecticut before had of and of the degree of before Medical of in the period that school was of New for who a degree was who to than the for a medical but could not a for the until it had the state to a in to a of in Medical of in New to of women physicians in Connecticut medical in New York, or the Medical of women it to of medical were in the for In the of women's medical of medical in the of women's medical than in other in the women as had their MDs women's medical almost Medical of Medical of the New which in and the New Medical and for which school in in in was by the most for Connecticut of these were by women and had women in to some male and support to women physicians in Connecticut towns where were or other women until School of in was a school to women at Medical the to attract women most medical other than women's medical were to women, but by most in very small Medical of of in the New some Yale and New as for and one of Helen of the women who chose to practice in Connecticut before in the state or in neighboring states, Massachusetts and New the state of and of were positions and and in chose to medical practice the of to New She that she was a and was the growing that the in of some a to She chose New she had there. was a but that, a one could the But she was an medical she had to the Connecticut medical in which She that had and the were in New the of she the and on that the Yale medical and of the of in before in She to Massachusetts in an a good for the women for I were were of New at one was of who was in and one of who was in Connecticut but were in were among had who were of of in and to that same to practice medicine and for the of and the of of medical degree in in as did it is to obtain to have as many women doctors as women of the women, they did their medical but were and did not have to an to a medical especially of a could in of And in women as physicians could for and for I have in Connecticut where a already in practice in the state medicine she women physicians who the same medical school as they and the of Medical School in and in to practice. and of Medical School in in and Medical School in and and in New of a of in in in and practice. of New a lived a for women especially in already is of New in in New in and to medicine at but health and growing in medical school In she degree Medical the first to that She to the of New and where she in of women and in was she medical She had of in who became an for who in she to a in an and some she practice in in the of a She did not medical at until she two to the to She in part of the in of did women MDs were an on or But were some of who a practice in and of women and gradually in author of was to the and in she to of many women doctors as medical of a as of the in in the women, and Helen as physicians at Connecticut for in one woman, who in did She was a in who on the in the of but she other Mead in the and in She a case of which she had in to who that the was an She in the by the of and the was doctors were the the and the a of and a of the of the School for the was until the state the in but to where she lived who was the and a of in was in to to New to the in of a in the of New by of they had in had to as a medical but health was not good the of of to known as and the Farnam was in of at Yale and a as of the was the first and of other and the for the a a a and for women and one for she as of the who for a for in Louise to Yale School of Medicine in Farnam for the women's which had as an to women to the state to take positions as physicians in the two public Connecticut for the Connecticut and State for the of women had in beginning in the had a of women as physicians on the and to about women of state and the state they the In these the women were part of where they had for or in Connecticut in to as an at Connecticut for the and became the of the Helen a at the State in a that of in in and before she became at Connecticut for two women their where could of in in that she of or and in for and Mead of that their she an in and it as a where she was most in the many of and which were to at the very of the period under discussion did a women physicians and at Yale School of 1920, almost women physicians in Connecticut on their than as to in male a number of women physicians were active in their Connecticut before were the for that could by the the or by was and by had to obtain a a of the to and which in their or did not in the state, New was by Yale in and in the first in Connecticut in were only two in New and But to 1920, the number of the community in the and and in the and were and not in was in more community were by as and New York, by World War I were on their in departments, and in which physicians could of for their 1920, were at in New which had an Yale School of Medicine in for of the and physicians, was the in departments, and in in in and and in But at New in 1920, physicians were not yet to for women had only just the of New by and were not yet on the of they the many community more as was of to was the first to on the of a community of Medical of the New in in in and became a of the the for of New was one of the of in in New as a in which and could and were and Kate Mead and 1920, a of School of Medicine in was on the of and in New became a of the of in New and was a on the of in as at in and was for years a of the of in of a and of in was a of in more could were some for women practicing in period as compared to of it was relatively easy to to medical school and a practice. a to a did not a education to medical the the of medical education was only two or not yet for for in were medical for women, or that accepted a number of This was an a could a practice an in medical and earn a a was but not which were for women to were not yet a number of women to especially at New for and in of a practice in in the same she medical to practice in the state, of the was not yet In 1920, or was only just beginning in Connecticut. in their to obtain a women were not to the that were in it did not were not what is an the at the beginning of the women doctors could and earn good Mead in that she a an she was at two of In of New of known medical in Medical I have yet to a in State who not a good They the and the of have as good as of the the or of was an by a of that the the period to the women's in 1920, supported by almost women This was the of women's more than they in projects that opportunities for women who did not have a to highly in a public physicians were and women physicians, were active in to on health Mead of Connecticut of was for years the state of public health and of the the state to before of the and other organizations where of health and was a who did not practice medicine on and and a of the State of on in and and for the she was by the to the on Mead and many other not women as medical women a to in medicine they were medicine in the first two of the had a and community for women to Progressive Era was a of public health was in towns to as and In an of and public health were at health were to and to form of public health and health was which were by of and Mead was a of the in the first in the state, was a of the and was active in a in number of women physicians in medical of and in on to women's and and in public health projects as to for women on a on of the Connecticut State Medical in the period to many women physicians in public health a became public health of their beginning in became health for in more at the of highly medical women in the state, of a in their and They were as of women who practice in the which Connecticut women many of the of the first who were male medical these women to the extent that women were a was in the state of New but was in and She New Medical and for in and became at the the to the of she medicine in until the she was a and an active of the of She and in was in in and in a about In a of In not she an to the of could only to or not to This to the of the most of in and did not a of the for to in the and of the In she a in the at the of in and in and in she was of at to New She was the only in Connecticut in period to medical in in and at gradually became she organizations for male physicians of community recognized by of the Medical in In she the She an active in the Medical to the extent of the Medical in in as one of was one of the in and for which were to a a by of New in the in in a for the She was the of one were to was in and number of was in the to of of the of a of of many and of a degree of and was the only Connecticut women in period to a and the only in period to an in in and in was the of a She in Connecticut in to take a at the Connecticut for the in she and in a a on the she medical for a as she not she to the in as a and She only was in or in other a number of in on at the or on of She for the of and was an of the was the by the that one could a by a of the which the In one in of the Medical in she a and an at the on the of of and in the of the of of the was that in she was by the of the of of at which she she was hired to the first at the in She and and the first and to for she was in of the and its she as for the of was one of two women doctors in the state to in World War women doctors were medical she the in a among women doctors in she was the only Connecticut in period to a of a in a of the of In the she and the to where she was for years to the of she was in was recognized by the male doctors in of the Medical the first of the Medical medical in and of the Connecticut State Medical in the same that Mead had at the of medical in She in a to that was an it that she the only the and first were she to at in case in a the was under the of to I was of medical school the doctors a a and and as the have some for a to in the women who in Connecticut before 1920, Kate Campbell Mead was by the most the state, she was to the of the medical women in she a and of she in the of She was a one who as or and more than as in Kate to a she for two years as for Medical of in in she a as an at the New for and in she on by the who the to open the School of Medicine in on the that women to she as medical of and of at the School in a by and to a education to that of in the of she to to she had while in in the of of who a in Mead had to at in the of and had a in a on known as Kate Campbell Mead for a in the first of the in a practice and became a of the Medical and of the Connecticut Medical medical practice of women and she in medical but practice as a of Connecticut who in In in was a of it where the doctors was and Mead was a that was for a as that to in she women in in part by as an She to male physicians, to and to at the and state medical she did not or she a number of medical in medical on in a number of to and and on practice. she and She on some of the to medical in did not have Mead in public health She a in the of the in the first in and as a for many She on health to women's and in the medical of In she a of who hired the before as of public health at to a of by two of for public health which Mead was was in in At its in she was one of physicians and became a of the Medical in which she She a to the by not the a of women who and to support the she was in the school at and as one of a the In the she became and for the She was one of physicians who to in the and the Connecticut State Medical Mead and a on public health education in and of and she and other members of the a to the and the of the State of She was one of two members of the Medical to the before the in support of a the State of the State of before the on in the of in that In for in Mead as a of the of the State of and a which to the women physicians of the state for was a of women's medical of the Medical Medical Mead was in not active in the as in to Mead a one of which was to state women's medical to the that in state, in she the Medical of Connecticut and as its and state organizations for women doctors in other to the was the only to in Connecticut. women's medical to to women to and to support women's projects related to medicine and public But by the women's medical organizations were to obtain active Connecticut Medical on its and in the state medical but did not to the of by as Mead was the active of women doctors to take a in medical in the state, and to for as more in the state to were for the members to medical where members women doctors and as the and 1930s, the of had and Mead had to of the of the was of until in for the period that she was of the to of In to at the state and Mead a in the of the Medical in and in the of its first in in Mead medical practice had and to to and books and to was that Mead in medical especially the history of women in Medical had a a but not yet a was almost by physicians and was in medical which had very about women in Mead was by and of New who had that history was of the of the to Connecticut in and in Mead medical practice and public health on a than and to the history of In the she a many on women in medicine in a of the of history of and history of In she to Kate Campbell first in was a history of women in medicine in Mead most in in Medicine the to the of the to a that the in the a Mead the in the of a who as and of the of women and of health and the of the medical history a women physicians and to more women to by women a She that women's in medicine was not a but had women were academic in she that women were just as as the state of medicine at the She the to women of the to more education and to in women's organizations to obtain of in the medical to women that were to the of was in and and a in the New author of to Mead as a the had Mead accepted the of women in She the of the women she to more for became and and women who