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Name: Mary Edwards Walker
Lifetime: November 26, 1832 – February 21, 1919
What She’s Known For: Dr. Mary Edwards Walker isn’t just an important figure in history; she made history several times. Not only is she the first and only woman to ever win an American Medal of Honor for her work as a surgeon during the Civil War, but she is also the first female physician in the U.S. army.
Why We Love Her: Dr. Walker shattered her share of glass ceilings. She graduated from the Syracuse Medical College and tried to join the Army as a medical officer during the Civil War. When she was refused, she volunteered as a surgeon. While working on the battlefield, she was captured by Confederate forces from April to August of 1864.
President Andrew Jackson later awarded her with the Medal of Honor for her work and her status as a prisoner of war. After the war, Dr. Walker continued working in medicine and passionately advocated for women’s rights. In fact, she frequently gave speeches wearing men’s clothes.
Fun Fact: In 1917, Congress changed their criteria to only award the Medal of Honor to those who engaged in combat with an enemy, which invalidated many medals, including Walker’s. However, Walker refused to return her medal and 58 years after her death, President Jimmy Carter reinstated it.
READ MORE: #WomenThatDid: Jane Austen
