All her life Mary Edwards Walker was always controversial; she was an early supporter of women’s rights and spoke passionately about dress reform, she was also the only woman in her class at med school and one of the first female surgeons in the United States. During the outbreak of the Civil War, Mary tried to join the Union Army, but was refused commission due to her gender. So she volunteered as a nurse at an Army hospital and also served as a battlefield nurse in title all while she was doing the work of a surgeon. Mary would later go on to serve as assistant surgeon of the 52nd Ohio Infantry; she would also be the first women to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor, America’s highest military award After leaving the military she began writing and lecturing about women’s rights, dress reform, health and temperance issues. In 1866, she helped organize the Women’s Suffrage Association for Ohio; she was also a coordinator for the Central Women’s Suffrage Bureau (www.lkwdpl.org).
Mary Edwards Walker meets the criteria for feminist leadership for social transformation because she was constantly trying to push the constrictions that society had placed on women; be it with clothes, in school, in the workforce and in politics. She was a great leader for women because she pretty much did not care what anyone else thought about her. She was out-spoken, intelligent, and courageous and would definitely speak her mind and do what needed to be done to help people.
Mary’s leadership started out when she was young with dress reform; she refused to wear the constricting clothes of that time and would typically wear pants, a high-collared shirt, and a long dress coat. She then went on to medical school and became one of the first female surgeons in the U.S. and even though the military tried to dismiss her because of her gender, she still went on to volunteer as a nurse but do the duties of a surgeon during the Civil War. After leaving the military Mary’s effort went towards the Women’s suffrage movement and she helped Susan B. Anthony and Lucy Stone organize the Women’s Suffrage Association for Ohio. Mary and the mainstream suffrage movement eventually parted ways because she thought the suffragists needed to continue their fight in the individual states rather than fighting for a constitutional amendment. She felt this way because she thought if it was done on a state level; women could become electors for the House of Representatives.
In 1869, after having finally been granted a divorce; Mary wrote her first book, which was a combination autobiography and commentary on divorce. In her book she was advocating for more equal laws so wives and children could escape unhappy homes; thus requiring women’s ability to vote. Finally in 1890, Mary decided to run for Congress in Oswego, NY, the following year she campaigned for congress and then paid her way to the Democratic National Convention in 1893(www.lkwdpl.org). Political change was something Mary was always striving for.
Dr. Mary Edwards Walker accomplished many things in her life, although she is mainly remembered as “that shocking female surgeon in trousers!” She dedicated her life to the Women’s suffrage movement, to medicine, dress reform and finally to politics. To this day she is the only women to ever receive the Congressional Medal of Honor and in 2000 she was inducted into the Women’s Hall of Fame in Seneca Falls, NY (www.lkwdpl.org).
You can read more about Dr. Mary Edwards Walker on the following websites:
Civil War Congressional Medal of Honor - Dr. Mary Edwards Walker, the Only Woman Medal of Honor Recipient and Slightly Ahead of Her Time
Mary Walker, Medal of Honor Awardee – North Georgia Notables website
About Mary Edwards Walker – Women's History website
Mary Edwards Walker, Civil War Doctor – Woman of Courage profile written and produced by the St. Lawrence County, NY Branch of the American Association of University Women
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Works Cited
NNDB. NNDB tracking the entire world: Mary Edwards Walker. 2012. 16 2 2012
Women in History. Mary Edwards Walker biography. Last Updated: 2/16/2012. Lakewood Public Library. Date accessed 2/16/2012 .
