Black History Month 2022 DOCTRESS OF MEDICINE – Rebecca Lee Crumpler
Did you know about the first African American female to receive her medical degree in the U.S., Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler? Although her story has become more well known, there still have not been any accurate pictures accompanying her stories. However, her story is very important to American history.
Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler was born free, Rebecca Davis, in Delaware on February 8, 1831. She was raised in Pennsylvania by an aunt that was the neighborhood medical caretaker. Crumpler later attended an elite school in Massachusetts, West Newton English and Classical School. She was a “special student in mathematics.” During 1852-1860 she worked as a nurse in Charlestown, Massachusetts. The doctors she worked with recognized her talents and recommended her to medical school. Prior to going to medical school, on April 19, 1852, she married Wyatt Lee.
She began school in 1860 at the New England Female Medical College, a college that had been established in 1848. This time period in history was highlighted by 54, 543 physicians in the U.S. Of these, only 300 were women and none were Black women. Blacks were frequently denied admission to American medical schools. Her medical studies were also interrupted by the Civil War. However, she was able to resume her course work with a tuition award from a fund established by an Ohio abolitionist, Benjamin Wade. She completed her course work in 1864.
On February 24, 1864, Rebecca and her two white classmates went before four faculty members for their final, oral exam. At the end of the examination the faculty did recommend her to the Board of Trustees, but had some reservations. They felt she had demonstrated slow progress and had “deficiencies”. On March 1st, the Trustees, who identified her as Mrs. Rebecca Lee, negress, conferred the doctress of medicine degree. Apparently, only 35% of all women who attended the school completed the degree program. Dr. Rebecca Lee (Crumpler) was the first and only African American graduate of the program.
After graduation, on May 24, 1865, she married Arthur Crumpler. Her first husband had died in 1863 from tuberculosis. She remained in Boston with her second husband for a short time. After the Civil War ended (1865), Dr. Crumpler moved to Richmond, Virginia and worked with the Freedmen’s Bureau along with other Black doctors, to provide medical care to freed slaves. These former slaves were often denied care by White physicians. Dr. Crumpler saw this as true mission work. It was not unusual for minority females going into medicine to provide care for underserved communities.
She returned to Boston by 1869 and had her only child in 1870. In 1880 the Crumplers moved to Hyde Park. Her experiences prior to returning to Massachusetts led her to publish the Book of Medical Discourse in 1883. This is one of the first know pieces of medical writing by an African American and is considered by some to be an early guidebook on public health.
Dr. Crumpler died March 9, 1895. To this day, there are no pictures or sketches of Rebecca Crumpler that have been identified. However, a Boston Daily Globe Article from 1898 described her as a tall, light brown woman who was very pleasant, an intellectual, and an indefatigable church worker. What a wonderful story of our culture and impact on American history by this trailblazer.
Here is a short Youtube video that highlights Dr. Crumpler
(1) 4) Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler - Unsung Black Heroes - Black History 2021 - Bing video
Sources:
Changing the Face of Medicine | Rebecca Lee Crumpler (nih.gov)
Rebecca Davis Lee Crumpler (1831-1895) • (blackpast.org)
Celebrating Rebecca Lee Crumpler, first African-American woman physician | PBS NewsHour
