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Mary Corinna Putnam JacobiAmerican physician, writer and suffragist
Date of Birth: 31.08.1842
Country:  USA |
Content:
- Mary Putnam Jacobi: Physician, Writer, Suffragist
- Literary and Medical Career
- Pioneering Medical Education
- Activism and Legacy
Mary Putnam Jacobi: Physician, Writer, Suffragist
Early Life and EducationMary Putnam was born in London in 1842 to George Palmer Putnam and Victorine Haven Putnam. Growing up in New York City with her 10 younger siblings, Mary received her early education primarily at home. She later attended a girls' school for two years.
In 1859, Mary graduated and pursued further studies in Greek and various sciences, including medicine, with private tutors. Initially discouraged by her father, who found the medical profession distasteful, she eventually gained his approval.
Literary and Medical Career
Mary's first short story was published in the Atlantic Monthly in 1860. She received her doctorate in pharmacy from the New York College of Pharmacy in 1863 and graduated from the Female Medical College of Pennsylvania in 1864. After an internship in New England, she recognized the need for continued education.
Pioneering Medical Education
Mary traveled to Paris and applied to the medical faculty of the Sorbonne. After significant negotiation, she was accepted, becoming the first woman ever to enroll in the program. She graduated in July 1871.
Upon her return to the United States, Mary established a practice in New York City. She became the second woman admitted to the Medical Society of the County of New York, joined the American Medical Association, and served as a professor at the Woman's Medical College of the New York Infirmary.
Activism and Legacy
In 1872, Mary founded the Association for the Advancement of the Medical Education of Women, serving as its president from 1874 until 1903. She also wrote the prize-winning essay on female menstruation, arguing for rest for women during that time. In 1891, she published a historical account of women doctors in the United States.
Mary married Dr. Abraham Jacobi, the "father of American pediatrics," in 1873. Of their three children, only Marjorie survived infancy. Mary herself was a pioneer in educating her daughter, implementing her own theories and methods.
Mary Putnam Jacobi published over 100 medical articles throughout her career. Her literary pursuits ceased after 1871. She died in 1906 at the age of 63. Mary Putnam Jacobi is remembered as a groundbreaking physician and an influential figure in the women's suffrage movement.
