Matilda Evans

{{jpg-image} Matilda Arabella Evans (1872–1935) was the first African-American woman licensed to practice medicine in South Carolina. She was a pioneering physician, public health advocate, and educator, dedicated to improving healthcare for African-Americans in the segregated South. Throughout her career, Dr. Evans not only broke racial and gender barriers but also established several institutions to support her community's health and well-being.

Early Life and Education

Born in Aiken, South Carolina, to Anderson and Harriet Evans, both of whom were formerly enslaved, Matilda Evans grew up in a post-Civil War era where opportunities for African-Americans, especially women, were severely limited. Despite these challenges, she was determined to pursue an education. After completing her primary education at the Schofield Normal and Industrial School, a school founded by Quaker missionaries to educate freed slaves, she attended Oberlin College in Ohio, one of the first colleges in the United States to admit black students. She later transferred to the Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania, where she earned her medical degree in 1897.

Medical Career

After obtaining her medical degree, Dr. Evans returned to South Carolina, where she became the first African-American woman to be licensed as a physician in the state. She opened her own practice in Columbia, focusing on the African-American community, which had limited access to healthcare services. Dr. Evans was known for her holistic approach to medicine, often addressing the social and economic factors that affected her patients' health. In 1901, she founded the Taylor Lane Hospital, the first black hospital in Columbia, which later became the St. Luke's Hospital and Training School for Nurses. This institution not only provided much-needed medical care to the black community but also offered training for African-American nurses, creating professional opportunities for black women in the healthcare field.

Public Health Advocacy

Dr. Evans was deeply committed to public health issues, particularly those affecting African-American children. She was instrumental in establishing the Negro Health Association of South Carolina and played a key role in the fight against tuberculosis, a major health threat at the time. Dr. Evans also organized the Columbia Clinic Association, which provided free medical and dental care to school children.

Legacy

Dr. Matilda Evans passed away in 1935, but her legacy lives on. She was a trailblazer who not only broke racial and gender barriers in the medical profession but also worked tirelessly to improve the health and well-being of her community. Her contributions to medicine and public health in South Carolina have left an indelible mark on the state's history.

See Also

• African-American history
• Women in medicine
• Public health