Helen E. Nash, MD, becomes the first Black woman to join the School of Medicine faculty and the first Black attending physician at Children’s Hospital, where she serves for more than 40 years. A trainee of Homer G. Phillips Hospital, she becomes a hugely impactful physician and mentor and establishes scholarships for students interested in medicine and science.
Dr. Hartmann, the head of pediatrics, interviewed me before I took the position. He told me he wanted the Board of Lady Managers at Children’s Hospital to see me. That was anger-provoking. What did they think a Black woman doctor would look like? But I agreed. … Though the women managers were polite, the whole experience made me feel like an exotic animal. And I guess for women who had never seen an educated Black person, I was.
— Helen E. Nash, MD
Read about the Nash family legacy in Outlook Magazine »
Image: Helen E. Nash, MD, cares for infant patients at Homer G. Phillips Hospital, circa 1945.