Ellis Reynolds Shipp facts for kids
Ellis Reynolds Shipp (born January 20, 1847 – died January 31, 1939) was a very important doctor. She was one of the first female doctors in Utah and in the western United States. She started a school in 1879 to teach women how to be nurses and midwives. Dr. Shipp also helped lead the Deseret Hospital Association. She showed that women could be both great mothers and successful doctors. She once said, "It is to me the crowning joy of a woman’s life to be a mother." During her 50 years as a doctor, she helped deliver over 5,000 babies. She also trained more than 500 women to become licensed midwives.
Life Story
Ellis Reynolds was born in 1847. In 1852, her family moved to Utah Territory. They were among the first Mormon pioneers to settle in Pleasant Grove, Utah. In 1866, Ellis Reynolds married Milford Shipp. She had ten children, but only six of them lived past infancy.
Ellis Shipp began her studies at the University of Utah. Later, in 1875, she went to Philadelphia to study medicine. She attended the Women's Medical College of Pennsylvania. While she was away, her children were cared for by her husband and other family members in Utah. Brigham Young helped pay for her education in the eastern United States. She also studied medicine further at the University of Michigan.
When she came back to Utah, Ellis Shipp worked with Eliza R. Snow. Together, they started a school to teach women how to deliver babies. This school eventually trained 660 midwives. In 1910, Ellis Shipp published a book of her own poems called Life Lines.
Dr. Shipp also served on important church boards. From 1898 to 1907, she was a member of the General Board of the Relief Society. She also served on the general board of the Young Women's Mutual Improvement Association. Ellis Shipp passed away in Salt Lake City on January 31, 1939, at 92 years old.
Places Honoring Ellis Shipp
Many places are named after Ellis Reynolds Shipp. A park in Salt Lake City is named in her honor. It is close to where she lived and worked as a doctor. A public health center in West Valley City, Utah is also named after her.
At Brigham Young University, one of the women's dormitories was named Ellis Reynolds Shipp Hall. This building was part of the old Heritage Halls.
Ellis Shipp is also honored with a special display room. You can find it in the Daughters of Utah Pioneers Pioneer Memorial Museum in Salt Lake City.
