Birth: March 14, 1833
Death: October 3, 1910
Specialty: Medicine
Major Contributions:
Opened her own dental practice after an apprenticeship with a licensed dentist
First American Women to earn a doctorate in dentistry
Taught her husband to be a dentist
The first American woman to earn a degree in dentistry had to forge her own path to achieve this goal. She then would in turn fight for the rights of other women to achieve their dreams.
Dr. Lucy Hobbs Taylor started out as a schoolteacher, but an interest in medicine was sparked when she boarded with a physician while teaching. She applied to medical school only to be denied due to her gender. At this refusal she was encouraged to look into dentistry, and again she was denied formal training because she was a woman.
Instead, she started an apprenticeship with a recent graduate of the dental school that had denied her entry. After learning the trade, although she didn’t have a formal degree in dentistry, she opened her own dental office, which was a common practice as many dentists at the time were not certified. A year later she moved her clinic to Iowa and within three years her practice was profitable, and she gained a reputation of excellence.
In 1865 the Iowa State Dental Association allowed her to join its membership and went so far as to pressure the Ohio College of Dental Surgery to admit her to its program. Because of her reputation and years of practice she was enrolled as a senior and was only required to attend one session. In 1866 she became the first American women to earn a doctorate in dentistry.
Moving her practice to Chicago, she married a civil war veteran and began teaching him the art of dentistry. The couple then moved to Lawrence, Kansas and opened a joint practice which was considered to be one of the most successful in the state.
Upon her husband’s death in 1886, she essentially closed their practice and devoted her energies to fighting for the rights of women including their voting rights. In honor of her work and legacy, the American Association of Women Dentists established the most prestigious of its awards. The Lucy Hobbs Taylor Award is given annually in recognition of professional excellence and achievements in advancing the role of women in dentistry.
Written by Angela Goad
Sources:
Kansas Historical Society: Lucy Hobbs Taylor
Sindecuse Museum: Lucy Beaman Hobbs Taylor
See Also:
Benco Dental’s 10th Annual Lucy Hobbs Project Awards