U.S. National Institutes of Health

Rebecca Lee Crumpler, MD — general medicine

Courtesy National Library of Medicine

Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler (1831–1895) challenged the racist beliefs that prevented African Americans from pursuing careers in medicine. She graduated from the New England Female Medical College in 1864 to become the first African American woman in the United States to earn an MD degree. Although little has survived to tell the story of Crumpler's life, she has secured her place in the historical record with her book of medical advice for women and children, published in 1883.

Read more about Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler.

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