Dr Mildred Fay Jefferson

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Dr Mildred Fay Jefferson

Birth
Pittsburg, Camp County, Texas, USA
Death
15 Oct 2010 (aged 83)
Cambridge, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA
Burial
Carthage, Panola County, Texas, USA Add to Map
Memorial ID
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Dr. Mildred Fay Jefferson was born in 1927 in Pittsburg, Texas - the daughter of Guthrie (Roberts) Jefferson, a public school teacher, and Millard F. Jefferson, a Methodist minister. She attended public schools in East Texas and entered Harvard Medical School in 1947 after receiving a B.A degree summa cum laude from Texas College in Tyler, Texas and a M.S. degree from Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts.

Jefferson became the first African American woman to graduate from Harvard Medical School in 1951. She was the first woman to be a surgical intern at Boston City Hospital and the first woman admitted to membership in the Boston Surgical Society. She is, however, best-known for her longtime support and involvement in the right-to-life movement in America. She helped to establish the National Right to Life Committee and served three times as its president. She has been a local, regional and national speaker and activist.

After her Harvard Medical School graduation, Jefferson served as a general surgeon with the former Boston University Medical Center and Assistant Clinical Professor of Surgery at Boston University Medical School.

Jefferson has had a career-long interest in medical jurisprudence, medical ethics and the interface between medicine and law, as well as their impact on public policy and society. As a founding member of state and national right-to-life organizations, and also being the Former President of National Right to Life.

Jefferson is a founding member of the Board of Governors and a past President of the Value of Life Committee of Massachusetts and is also active with the American Life League and Americans United for Life Legal Defense Fund. Jefferson is also a member of Black Americans for Life and is held in high esteem by Feminists for Life. She befriended President Ronald Reagan, who wrote a letter to Dr. Jefferson stating after seeing her debate on TV he was officialy changing from being Pro-Choice to Pro-Life. Jefferson passed away on October 18, 2010.

Dr. Mildred Fay Jefferson was born in 1927 in Pittsburg, Texas - the daughter of Guthrie (Roberts) Jefferson, a public school teacher, and Millard F. Jefferson, a Methodist minister. She attended public schools in East Texas and entered Harvard Medical School in 1947 after receiving a B.A degree summa cum laude from Texas College in Tyler, Texas and a M.S. degree from Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts.

Jefferson became the first African American woman to graduate from Harvard Medical School in 1951. She was the first woman to be a surgical intern at Boston City Hospital and the first woman admitted to membership in the Boston Surgical Society. She is, however, best-known for her longtime support and involvement in the right-to-life movement in America. She helped to establish the National Right to Life Committee and served three times as its president. She has been a local, regional and national speaker and activist.

After her Harvard Medical School graduation, Jefferson served as a general surgeon with the former Boston University Medical Center and Assistant Clinical Professor of Surgery at Boston University Medical School.

Jefferson has had a career-long interest in medical jurisprudence, medical ethics and the interface between medicine and law, as well as their impact on public policy and society. As a founding member of state and national right-to-life organizations, and also being the Former President of National Right to Life.

Jefferson is a founding member of the Board of Governors and a past President of the Value of Life Committee of Massachusetts and is also active with the American Life League and Americans United for Life Legal Defense Fund. Jefferson is also a member of Black Americans for Life and is held in high esteem by Feminists for Life. She befriended President Ronald Reagan, who wrote a letter to Dr. Jefferson stating after seeing her debate on TV he was officialy changing from being Pro-Choice to Pro-Life. Jefferson passed away on October 18, 2010.


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