April 15th

Born this day in 1824, Mary Harris Thompson, pioneer doctor, great surgeon and founder of the Mary Thompson Hospital for Women and Children. It must be noted, Dr. Thompson's parents understood the great intelligence of their daughter and supported her pursuit of a higher education which to lead to medical degree from the Boston Women's Medical College in 1863. Dr. Thompson furthered her medical education by working in hospitals in her home state of New York. After much consideration Thompson decided to move to the city of Chicago, Illinois. The two hospitals of the time, did not hire females to work in the wards and Mercy hospital did not even allow women as patients. By 1865, Thompson opened her own hospital with the support of her wealthy clients and fellow male physicians. Dr. Thompson was known for extraordinary surgonical skills, and hired at great cost to perform dangerous surguries. Dr. Thompson was the inventor of a surgonical needle used by leading surgeons. These great sums of money went to the hospital who served all walks of life. Poor, rich, black, white; Dr. Thompson's compassion was the corner of her hostipal and why she lives on in memory of her dream to heal.