A Regents Scholarship enabled Grace Elizabeth Clements, known as Betty, to transition from an education career to medicine after serving as a pilot during World War II. Her path included becoming the inaugural female neurology resident at the Mayo Clinic to sustain a dedicated practice in the field, eventually co-founding the Barrow Neurological Institute before her death in 1965.
Wartime Service and Aviation
Born in 1918 in Elmwood, Nebraska, Clements pursued education at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. While working as an educator in McCook and later Hastings, she obtained her pilot's license in 1942. She joined the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) in 1943. Due to administrative errors regarding her gender, she was initially selected for secret missions at Wendover Air Force Base linked to the Manhattan Project. Upon discovery, her role shifted to domestic engineering flights and aircraft transfers. Following her discharge in 1944, she joined the American Red Cross and served in the Philippines until 1946, where she assisted at the Tala Leprosarium.
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Clements began medical school at the University of Nebraska in 1946, graduating in 1952 after writing a thesis on Hansen's disease. She started her residency at St. Joseph's Hospital in Phoenix before moving to the Mayo Graduate School of Medicine in 1954 for a neurology fellowship. She completed further training at the National Hospital in London. In 1956, she co-authored research in the Journal of the American Medical Association regarding physical management for patients with Parkinson disease, emphasizing the necessity of ongoing cognitive and physical activity.
Professional Contributions and Legacy
In 1958, Clements returned to Phoenix to help establish the Barrow Neurological Institute. Her career included clinical appointments at the Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center, Arizona State Hospital, and the Veterans Administration Hospital. She remained a member of the American Academy of Neurology and the Royal Society of Medicine. Following a cancer diagnosis in 1960, she continued her medical and aviation interests until her death in Phoenix on July 17, 1965. In 2010, she was posthumously recognized with the Congressional Gold Medal.
Fast facts
- Born: 1918, Elmwood, Nebraska
- Died: 1965, Phoenix
- Education: University of Nebraska–Lincoln
- Military Service: Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP)
- Key Achievement: Co-founder, Barrow Neurological Institute
- Award: Congressional Gold Medal (2010)
Questions readers ask
Did Betty Clements serve in the military?
Yes, she was a member of the Women Airforce Service Pilots during World War II, serving from 1943 to 1944.
What was her primary medical contribution?
She was the first woman to complete a neurology residency at the Mayo Clinic and subsequently devote her career to the practice of neurology, eventually co-founding the Barrow Neurological Institute.
Achievements
- Congressional Gold Medal — 2010
