In 1916, a woman surgeon broke institutional barriers by securing an attending position at the College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York. Rosalie Slaughter Morton navigated a professional landscape that frequently expected her to prioritize domestic life over a career in medicine, eventually becoming a prominent educator and pioneer in public health advocacy.
Early Education and Clinical Training
Born in 1872 in Lynchburg, Virginia, she was the daughter of Mary Harker and John Flavel Slaughter. Despite initial opposition from her father, she enrolled at the Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania in 1893, funding her studies through personal savings. She graduated in 1897 with high academic honors and awards for clinical reporting and surgical equipment design. Following her graduation, she completed an internship at the Philadelphia City Hospital and served as a resident physician at the Alumnae Hospital and Dispensary.
Twenty questions, eight minutes on the clock, and a percentile measured against everyone who has taken it. No sign-up.
Take the IQ test →Global Medical Research
Seeking to expand her expertise beyond American shores, she spent three years studying in Paris, London, Berlin, and Vienna. Her research took a significant turn when she worked at the British Government Laboratory in Mumbai for six months. There, she focused on developing prophylactics against the bubonic plague. Her findings were eventually published by the Johns Hopkins Medical Society and distributed to quarantine ports by the United States Surgeon General.
Advocacy and Institutional Roles
Upon returning to the United States, she practiced gynecology in Washington D.C. before moving to New York following her 1905 marriage to attorney George Baxter Morton Jr. She became a vocal proponent of women's suffrage and served as a member of the Equal Suffrage League. Her academic career flourished at the Polyclinic Hospital of New York, where she attained the rank of professor. She further authored her autobiography, A Woman Surgeon, in 1937, followed by A Doctor's Holiday in Iran in 1940.
Later Years and Legacy
After the death of her husband in 1912, Morton remained focused on her medical and public health initiatives. In the 1930s, she relocated to Winter Park, Florida, after receiving an honorary degree from Rollins College. She remained active until her later years and dedicated a statue to the youth of Lynchburg at Spring Hill Cemetery in 1942. She passed away in 1968 and is buried at Spring Hill Cemetery.
Fast facts
- Born: 1872, Lynchburg, Virginia
- Died: 1968, Winter Park, Florida
- Education: Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania
- Primary specialties: Surgery and gynecology
- Awards: Conspicuous Service Cross
- Burial site: Spring Hill Cemetery
Questions readers ask
Did Rosalie Slaughter Morton have children?
No, she did not have children during her marriage to George Baxter Morton Jr.
What significant medical research did she conduct early in her career?
She studied tropical diseases and developed prophylactics against the bubonic plague while working in Mumbai.
.jpg)