Emma Wakefield-Paillet facts for kids
Emma Wakefield-Paillet (born November 21, 1868 – died August 26, 1946) was an important American doctor. She made history as the first woman to earn a medical degree in Louisiana. She was also the first Black woman to work as a doctor in that state.
Her Early Life
Emma Wakefield-Paillet was born on November 21, 1868. Her hometown was New Iberia, Louisiana. She was the fourth child of Samuel and Amelia Valentine Wakefield. Her father, Samuel Wakefield, was a state senator. This means he helped make laws for the state from 1877 to 1879. Her older brother, Adolph J. Wakefield, was a Clerk of Court. He managed court records for Iberia Parish. The family faced a very difficult and dangerous time in New Iberia. Because of this, they moved to New Orleans for safety.
Becoming a Doctor
In 1894, the state of Louisiana made a new rule that finally allowed women to go to medical school to become doctors. Emma and two other young Black women signed up to study medicine at New Orleans University (later Flint Medical College). It was the only medical school in the state that accepted African Americans. The other two women were not able to finish the program, but Emma kept going. She graduated with honors from the Medical Department of New Orleans University in 1897, becoming the first woman to graduate from medical school in Louisiana. In the same year, she earned her license. This license allowed her to practice medicine in Louisiana.
After graduation, Emma had to take a big test called the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners examination. This test decides if someone is ready to be a doctor. According to the official records, Emma did better on the test than every single other person who took it! There were 68 people taking the test that day, and Emma was the only woman. The other 67 were all men. Three of those men were Black, just like Emma. Her amazing score was a huge deal, not just for African American women, but for all women in Louisiana.
By 1898, she opened her own medical office in New Orleans. This made her the first Black woman to practice medicine in the state.
Moving to California
In 1900, Emma Wakefield-Paillet moved to San Francisco. There, she married Joseph Oscar Paillet. She continued her medical career in California. She received her license to practice medicine there in 1901. She lived in California for the rest of her life. She passed away in 1946.
Her Legacy
Emma Wakefield-Paillet's life story is still remembered today.
In 2018, the Iberia African American Historical Society (IAAHS) asked a writer named Ed Verdun to create a play about Dr. Wakefield-Paillet. The play was performed as part of a celebration when Louisiana put up a special historical marker to honor Emma as a trailblazer—a person who led the way for others—in the state’s medical history.
| Article contributor: Phebe Hayes, Ph.D. Dr. Hayes is the founder and president of the Iberia African American Historical Society and the principal biographer of Dr. Emma Wakefield-Paillet. She is the author of "Were You There? A Biography of Emma Wakefield-Paillet, M.D.", co-authored with Margaret Gibson Simon, whose original poems are featured throughout the book. Published by the University of Louisiana at Lafayette Press, the biography was released in April 2025. |
