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Posted on Mon, Apr. 20, 2009

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Dentist fought for women's rights

The Wichita Eagle

This is one in a series of vignettes celebrating Kansas history. The series' name comes from the state motto, Ad astra per aspera: "To the stars through difficulties."

BY BECCY TANNER

Lucy Hobbs originally wanted to be a doctor of eclectic medicine, a medical practice that used herbal and American Indian traditions in healing.

But when she applied at the Eclectic College of Medicine in Cincinnati, she was turned down because she was a woman.

She was rejected by the Ohio College of Dentistry, too.

Undaunted, Hobbs persisted. She studied on her own, then became the first female dentist in the nation.

In 1867, she and her husband, James M. Taylor, set up a joint dental practice in Lawrence.

Because of Hobbs' efforts, the American Dental Association was soon forced to allow not only her but also other women into dental schools.

Here's her story:

Hobbs was born March 14, 1833, in New York. By 1849, she had moved to Michigan, where she was a schoolteacher.

By the time she was 29, she wanted to become a doctor of eclectic medicine.

The medical profession was undergoing a shift in medical philosophy. Some doctors used bloodletting and mercury-based remedies. Others used herbal medicines and therapies.

Cincinnati's medical college had previously admitted women but then passed a policy prohibiting them from attending. So Hobbs was rejected.

After being turned down by the dentistry college as well, she studied on her own. In 1861, she opened her own dental practice in Cincinnati.

The next year, she moved to Iowa and opened a practice there. She soon gained a reputation as a good dentist.

The Iowa State Dental Society accepted her as a member. By 1865, even the Ohio College of Dentistry was beginning to notice her efforts.

The dental college soon waived its policy prohibiting female students.

Hobbs attended and received her diploma from the Ohio college in 1886.

She then moved to Chicago, where she met her husband, a Civil War veteran and a railway maintenance worker. She encouraged him to become a dentist.

The next year, the Taylors moved to Lawrence. For the next 20 years, they were dentists.

When he died in 1886, she became active in championing women's rights.

She died in Lawrence on Oct. 3, 1910, at 77.

As a tribute to her efforts, the American Association of Women Dentists in 1983 began an annual tradition of presenting its most prestigious award, the Lucy Hobbs Taylor Award, to a woman of outstanding achievement.

Reach Beccy Tanner at 316-268-6336 or btanner@wichitaeagle.com.