Alida Avery

Alida Avery

Alida Avery (1833–1908) was an American physician, educator, and advocate for women's rights. She was one of the first women to earn a medical degree in the United States and played a significant role in advancing the status of women in both the medical field and society at large.

Early Life and Education

Alida Avery was born on June 11, 1833, in Sherburne, New York. She was the daughter of Stephen Avery and Hannah Avery. Alida showed an early interest in education and medicine, which led her to pursue higher education at a time when opportunities for women were limited.

Avery attended the New York Central College in McGrawville, New York, where she graduated in 1853. She then went on to study medicine at the New England Female Medical College in Boston, Massachusetts, earning her medical degree in 1862.

Medical Career

After obtaining her medical degree, Avery began her medical practice in Woburn, Massachusetts. She later moved to Montpelier, Vermont, where she continued her practice and became involved in the women's suffrage movement.

In 1869, Avery was appointed as the resident physician and professor of physiology and hygiene at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York. She was the first woman to hold a faculty position at the college. During her tenure at Vassar, she was instrumental in improving the health and well-being of the students and advocating for women's health issues.

Advocacy and Later Life

Avery was a strong advocate for women's rights and was actively involved in the women's suffrage movement. She was a member of the American Medical Association and the New York State Medical Society, where she worked to promote the acceptance of women in the medical profession.

In 1874, Avery moved to Denver, Colorado, where she continued her medical practice and became involved in various social reform activities. She was a founding member of the Colorado Woman's College and played a key role in the establishment of the Colorado Medical Society.

Alida Avery passed away on September 22, 1908, in San Jose, California. Her contributions to medicine and women's rights have left a lasting legacy.

Legacy

Avery's pioneering efforts in the field of medicine and her advocacy for women's rights have been recognized and celebrated. She is remembered as a trailblazer who broke barriers and paved the way for future generations of women in medicine and other professional fields.

See Also

• Women in medicine
• New England Female Medical College
• Vassar College
• Women's suffrage in the United States