Profile America: Lucy Hobbs Taylor, First Woman Dentist

Monday, February 20 — This week in 1866, Lucy Hobbs Taylor received a doctorate in dentistry from the Ohio College of Dental Surgery. She was the first American woman so credentialed, and it’s believed she was also the first in the world. Born in 1833, Lucy Hobbs at first tried to attend medical school, but finding that avenue closed to her, studied dentistry. Beginning in 1861, she practiced without a certificate as was common at the time. Following her graduation, she married James Myrtle Taylor in 1867. The couple practiced dentistry in Lawrence, Kansas for the rest of their lives. There are some 100,000 dentists in the U.S. today. Of that total, just over 22,000 are women.

You can find more facts about America’s people, places and economy, from the American Community Survey here.

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