Mary Edwards Walker
Personal Information
Born: 1832
Died: 1919
Country of Birth: USA
Nationality: USA
Ethnicity: White
Education
Falley Seminary 1850-52; Syracuse Medical College MD 1855; NY Hygeio-Therapuetic College 1862
Professional Life
Field of Study: Surgeon
Institution/Corporation: US Army
Degrees & Memberships: Member: Central Women's Suffrage Bureau; National Dress Reform Association
Awards & Achievements
Awards: 1865 Army Medal of Honor (medal was recinded 1916-1917 but reinstated 1977); 2000 National Women's Hall of Fame; 2012 a commemorative statue of her was erected in Oswego NY; the following were named after her: WWII Liberty ship 20-cent postage stamp issued by USPS the medical facilities at SUNY Oswego a US Army Reserve Center the Whitman-Walker clinic in Washington DC a clinic at Fort Irwin Training Center in California a transitional residence for homeless female veterans in Philadelphia Ft. A. P. Hill in Virginia is scheduled to be named after her she will be depicted on a 2024 American Women quarter
Achievements: "only female recipient of the Medal of Honor; briefly attended Bowen Collegiate Institution but was suspended after refusing to resign from the previously all-male debate club; frequently arrested for wearing men's clothing; 1871 attempted to register to vote but was denied; campaigned for ""rational dress"" for women maintaining long skirts with numerous petticoats were unhygienic for their collection & spread of dust & dirt"
Only female recipient of the Medal of Honor
Frequently arrested for wearing men's clothing
1871, attempted to register to vote but was rejected
1st female surgeon in the US Army during the Civil War; was denied a commission because she was a female
Was captured by Confederate soldiers after crossing enemy lines to treat wounded civilians & accused of spying; was imprisoned for 4 months before being released in a prisoner exchange
Her Medal of Honor was revoked in 1917 because she was a civilian; she refused to return it & wore it every day until she died; medal was restored in 1977
Parents founded a school in Oswego, NY in the late 1830s so their 6 daughters could receive the same education as their only son
1855, when married, wore short skirts with trousers underneath, refused to include "obey" in her vows, & retained her last name-all considered radical at the time; divorced because her husband was unfaithful
Began wearing men's clothing during the Civil War because it was less restrictive & more sanitary than trailing long skirts though dirt