Finding Aid|
Stella M. Mason ( 1861-1957) Acquisition: The papers (donor no. 1137) were donated by Bill Kloss in 2007. Photographs: In Box 1. |
Iowa Women's Archives |
Biography
Stella M. Mason was born in 1861 near Edgewood, in Delaware County, Iowa. In 1885, she received BS and Master of Accounts degrees from Upper Iowa University in Fayette, Iowa. Mason taught for four years in New Hampton, Iowa, where she began studying medicine under Dr. Amos Babcock. In 1893, she received an MD from Hahnemann Medical College, a homeopathic institution and one of the only medical colleges in Chicago open to women at the time.
In 1893, Mason began practicing medicine in Mason City, Iowa, where she was the first female physician and surgeon in the city. She practiced until 1943; when she retired, she was the longest practicing physician and only female physician in Mason City. (However, seven other women had practiced intermittendly from 1893 to 1943). Mason belonged to many organizations, including Mason City Business and Professional Women's Club, the local chapter of the American Association of University Women, and Iowa State Medical Society. She was president of the Mason City Woman's Suffrage Association when the Nineteenth Amendment was passed. In 1947, Mason received an honorary degree from Upper Iowa University. Mason died in 1957 in Mason City, Iowa.
Scope and Content Note
The papers of Stella M. Mason date from 1852 to 1958 and measure 1.5 linear feet. The collection is arranged in two series: Scrapbooks and Artifacts.The papers document the life, medical practice, and personal interests of Stella M. Mason.
The Scrapbooks series (1852-1950) contains nine scrapbooks, dating from 1852 to 1950. Scrapbooks include newspaper clippings, prints, and commercial art.
The Artifacts series contains medical equipment and supplies, Mason's State of Iowa physician's certificate, correspondence from travels abroad, and a photograph of Stella Mason.
For more information about this collection contact the Iowa Women's Archives.
Iowa Women’s Archives, University of Iowa Libraries, Iowa City IA 52242.
Please send comments to: lib-women@uiowa.edu
URL: http://www.lib.uiowa.edu/iwa
Page created October 2008
