Looking to Dayton's Empowered Women in Times of Crisis

By Kim Villalva

For the first time in modern history, our country is facing an unprecedented health crisis with the COVID-19 pandemic. Schools, businesses, sports and more have been closed for weeks and will continue to stay closed as a part of Ohio Governor, Mike DeWine’s, Stay at Home Order, which is set to go until May 1, 2020.

In this new “norm”, schoolchildren are distant learning and families are adjusting to working, living and schooling all within the home. Job loss, financial struggles, daily news updates and fear have become a part of so many American’s lives.

At times like this, we look to history for inspiration. We look to our own community’s history to see individuals who faced challenges similar to those we face today. While they may not center around a pandemic as we are facing currently, the challenges these individuals faced still pushed their capabilities and at times, even defined who they were or who they would become.

So it was with the women in Dayton’s history.

Dr. Gertrude Felker

Dr. Gertrude Felker was one of the first women physicians to practice medicine in the Dayton area. She, and another woman, Dr. Elenora Everhard, were among the first women doctors in the nation when they came to Dayton in 1903.

Dr. Felker was also a leader in public health education, taking on a “clean up campaign” so that young people could have clean milk to drink. She was named “Woman of the Year” in 1954 and saved the lives of many children.

As we ponder Dr. Felker’s pioneer efforts as a woman doctor in Dayton, Ohio, we also recognize and honor the thousands of women who work in the medical field today and who are fighting on the front lines of this pandemic.

Thank you to all of the women (and men) who are risking so much to care for Dayton and surrounding areas. We can never thank you enough.

Be sure to check back regularly as we feature more women from our book, Empowered Women: History of Dayton Women and the Dayton Woman’s Club.

For Further Reflection:
(We invite you to reflect on the following questions, even consider a journal to capture your thoughts and where you can find inspiration for today.)

What challenges do you think Dr. Felker faced when she came to Ohio?

How might her perseverance and her vision for cleaning up milk in our community have given her strength as she faced the challenges of being an early woman doctor in Dayton?