Dr. Mary Walker

U.S. Army surgeon in the Civil War and the only woman to be awarded a Congressional Medal of Honor

Born into a world with clearly defined gender roles, Mary Walker (1832–1919) defied them all. One of America’s first female physicians, she believed that restrictive clothing such as the corset encumbered healthful movement. She wore and advocated for “reform dress”—a shortened dress and pants as shown below, before she abandoned the skirt altogether, although she was physically attacked and arrested for wearing pants in public.

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Dr. Mary Walker

depicted (sitter): Walker, Mary Ellen McMurry

Location: Currently not on view

Credit Line: Jean Bowler Bloombergh

ID Number: 1977.0564.01
accession number: 1977.0564
catalog number: 1977.0564.01

Object Name: photograph

Measurements: overall: 5 in x 3 1/2 in; 12.7 cm x 8.89 cm

National Museum of American History

subject: Women's History; History, Women's; Medical; Medicine
related event: Civil War

Record ID: nmah_1904882

Usage of Metadata (Object Detail Text): CC0

GUID (Link to Original Record): http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746b3-bc03-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa

Dr. Mary Walker

U.S. Army surgeon in the Civil War and the only woman to be awarded a Congressional Medal of Honor

Dr. Mary Walker

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