Rebecca Crumpler the first African American female doctor

I am enjoying this challenge of writing about black femle innovators because I am learning a lot as I research. Today I share with the readers the amzing story of Rebecca Davis, Lee, Crumpler MD. She is an African American woman who dealt with the same issues of other black female innovators of her day which were racism and sexism. As with the other unsung heroes whose stories I have shared, Dr, Crumpler persevered through adversity and promoted diversity and this is why I admire her.

She was born on Rebecca Davis on February 8, 1831 in Christina, Delaware and died on March 9, 1895. Her parent were Absolum Davis and Matilda Webber but she was raised by an aunt in Pennsylvaniawho cared for the sick townspeople. Her aunt acted as the unofficial doctor in the community and this had a big influence on Rebecca. She was impressed with the fact that people sought out her aunt when they were ill. I wish there were more information on the aunt because that would be a story in itself.

In 1852, Rebecca moved to Charlestown, Massachusetts, and worked as a nurse until she applied and was accepted into the New England Female Medical College. In April 1952 she married Wyatt Lee who was from Virginia. It is believed that Rebecca's interest in medicine was because her stepson died at age 7 and her husband later died of tuberculosis. Davis/Lee was the only African American woman who attended the medical school at this time and in 1864 she became the first black female to become a doctor of medicine in the United States. She was also one of the first female physician authors during the nineteenth century and in 1883, published a book titled A Book of Medical Discourses.

In 1865, Rebecca Lee married Arthur Crumpler in Saint John, New Brunswick on May 24. Her new husband was a former fugitive slave from Southampton County, Virginia. Dr. Crumpler experienced extreme racism and also sexism with the United States coming out of slavery. Male doctors did not respect her opinion and neither did they want to fill her prescriptions. There was also the fact that men of that time believed a woman's job was in the home rearing children. Crumpler worked for the Freedmen's Bureau and provided medical care to freed slaves who were denied care by white physicians.

Instead of celebrating this remarkable women, there was a running joke that her MD stood for mule driver instead of medical doctor. Still persevered and paved the way for women of color who are in the medical profession today. In the early 1870s, Crumpler attended the elite West Newton English and Classical School in Massachusetts as a "special student in mathematics". In 1874 she began teaching in Wilmington and in 1876 she became a teacher in New Castle, Delaware. Dr. Crumpler believed that every disease had a cause and recommended in her writings that women study the mechanisms of the human structure before deciding to study to become a nurse. The first black lady MD believed this was the way for nurses to better protect human life.

Dr, Crumpler and her husband owned a home at 20 Garden Street in Boston and both were active members of the Twelfth Baptist Church where Arthur was a trustee. The couple had a daughter, Lizzie Sinclair Crumpler who was born in mid-December of 1870. I had read that there were no photo of Rebecca Crumpler MD but on searching the Internet I was able to find a few. I believe it is important when possible to put a face on the subject of each story. Dr. Crumpler is said to have made the following statement regarding marriage. " The secret to successful marriage is to continue in the careful routine of the courting days , till it becomes well understood between the two."

I had read that there were no photos available of Rebecca Crumpler with a description of her being tall and light complexioned. I found several photos that are similar but show her with various skin tones. Dr. Crumpler died on March 9, 1895, in Fairview, Massachusetts, and her husband Arthur passed away 15 years later in May 1910. Both were buried in unmarked graves in Fairview Cemetery and remained in this state until July 16, 2020. A fundraiser collected enough money to purchase gravestones for the couple and a special ceremony was held at the Cemetery.