Sara Josephine Baker
Personal Information
Born: 1873
Died: 1945
Country of Birth: USA
Nationality: USA
Ethnicity: White
Education
1898, NY Infirmary Medical College; 1917, New York University, PhD, Public Health
"The way to keep people from dying from disease, it struck me suddenly, was to keep them from falling ill. Healthy people don't die. It sounds like a completely witless remark, but at that time it was a startling idea. Preventative medicine had hardly been born yet and had no promotion in public health work. — Sara Josephine Baker, Fighting For Life, page 83"
— Sara Josephine Baker
Professional Life
Field of Study: Public Health
Institution/Corporation: NY Life Insurance Company
Degrees & Memberships: Member: American Child Hygiene Association 1909; Babies Welfare Association (later known as Children s Welfare Federation of NY)
Awards & Achievements
Awards: none found
Achievements: first Director of Department of Child Hygiene, 1908-1923; first female awarded a PhD in Public Health from NYU; convinced NYC to license midwives; worked to ensure each school had a doctor & nurse; started a lunch program for school children; first woman to be a professional representative to the League of Nations; 1909, founded American Child Hygiene Association; 1911, organized and was president of the Babies Welfare Association (later known as Children s Welfare Federation of NY); Assistant Surgeon General; initiated practices that reduced infant mortality in NY by 40%
Known for tracking down Typhoid Mary (Mary Mallon) twice
Decided to study medicine after her father & brother died of typhoid
1898, graduated 2nd in her class from NY Infirmary Medical College
Known as Dr. Joe & wore masculine clothing; joked that her colleagues forgot she was a woman
Believed the way to keep people from dying from disease was to keep them from falling ill; led to her work in the field of public health
Invented an infant formula made out of water, calcium carbonate, lactose, & cow's milk
Educated mothers in the care of infants & the necessity of sanitary conditions to prevent dysentery
Designed a method of storing silver nitrate used in newborns' eyes in single use vials to prevent contamination & subsequent blindness
Convinced NYC to license midwives & place doctors & nurses in schools to regularly inspect the students; head lice & trachoma cases were reduced to almost non-existent as a result
Started school lunch programs
1917, became the 1st woman to receive a PhD in Public Health
1st woman professional representative to the League of Nations, served on the Health Committee 1922-1924