The nickname Cairo Angel was bestowed upon Mary Jane Safford for her relief work in Cairo, Illinois, at the onset of the American Civil War in 1861. She served as a nurse alongside Mary Ann Bickerdyke and later accompanied the army of Ulysses S. Grant during the 1862 Battle of Shiloh to minister to the wounded.
Early Education and War Service
Born in Hyde Park, Vermont, in 1834, Safford was the youngest of five children. Her early education took place across Vermont, Illinois, and Montreal. Upon returning to Illinois, she taught at a public school in Shawneetown. During the Civil War, her duties extended beyond nursing to include service aboard the military hospital ships City of Memphis and Hazel Dell before she traveled to Europe in 1862 for health reasons.
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Safford graduated from the New York Medical College and Hospital for Women in 1869. Her medical education continued internationally at Vienna General Hospital, the University of Breslau, and the University of Heidelberg. While studying at Breslau, she became the first woman to perform an ovariotomy. In 1872, she established a private practice in Chicago, emerging as one of the first female gynecologists in the United States.
Academic and Public Roles
As a faculty member at the Boston University School of Medicine, she served as Professor of Women's Diseases. Beyond her clinical and academic work, she engaged in public service, becoming one of the first women elected to the Boston School Committee in 1875. Her practice in Boston's South End focused on providing care to impoverished immigrant women and girls.
Advocacy and Personal Life
Safford-Blake married James Blake in 1872, later divorcing in 1880, and adopted two daughters, Margarita and Gladys. Her advocacy work included the women's suffrage movement, support for dress reform, and membership in the Women's Educational and Industrial Union. She authored several publications on health and social issues, including The Etiology and Infectiousness of Puerperal Fever and Dress-Reform.
Fast facts
- Born: 1834, Hyde Park
- Died: 8 December 1891, Tarpon Springs
- Notable role: Cairo Angel
- Medical graduation: New York Medical College, 1869
- Academic employer: Boston University
- Burial location: Cycadia Cemetery
Questions readers ask
What medical specialty did Mary J. Safford practice?
She was a surgeon and one of the first female gynecologists in the United States.
Where did she spend her final years?
She retired in 1886 and moved to Tarpon Springs, Florida, where she lived with her brother Anson.
Achievements
- Held posts at Boston University
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