Rebecca Lee Crumpler

Dr. Crumpler was able to study at the Female Medical College because of a scholarship. Following her graduation, she worked with the Freedmen’s Bureau in Richmond, Va., created at the end of the Civil War to help recently freed enslaved people gain access to food, housing, and medical services. She returned to practice family medicine in Boston, and later published A Book of Medical Discourses, which was notable for its clear messaging about women’s health. Although she encountered prejudice and hostility as a Black female doctor, she persisted, and discovered her life’s mission: combating illness in women and children.

The week of Feb. 8, 2021, the School celebrated Rebecca Lee Crumpler’s 190th birthday with a virtual symposia and discussions to raise additional scholarship funds in her name for students demonstrating financial need, with first preference for Black women and second preference for students from underrepresented communities who are Black or Hispanic/Latinx.

Watch symposia highlights