Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler (1831-95) is considered to be the first African American woman doctor. She received a “Doctress of Medicine” in 1864 from the New England Female Medical College in Boston’s South End, later merged into the Boston University School of Medicine. Born in Delaware, Crumpler was raised in Pennsylvania by an aunt. She came to Charlestown, Massachusetts in 1852 where she worked as a nurse. After she received her degree, she practiced in post-Civil War Virginia where she worked with the Freedman’s Bureau and other groups to provide medical care for freed slaves. She next moved back to Boston where she set up her medical practice on Joy Street. She focused on women and children and emphasized nutrition and preventive medicine. She presented her experiences and knowledge in A Book of Medical Discourses in Two Parts.
