Helen Octavia Dickens facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Helen Octavia Dickens
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Dickens c. 1950
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| Born | February 21, 1909 |
| Died | 2001 (aged 91–92) |
| Education | Malcolm X College University of Illinois |
| Occupation | Surgeon Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology |
| Medical career | |
| Institutions | Mercy Douglass Hospital |
Helen Octavia Dickens (1909–2001) was an American doctor. She was also a social activist, researcher, and educator. She worked hard to make healthcare fair for everyone.
In 1950, she became the first African-American woman to join the American College of Surgeons. She specialized in women's health, focusing on Obstetrics and Gynecology. Dr. Dickens worked at different clinics, including the Aspiranto Health Home. She also started the Teen Clinic at the University of Pennsylvania. Her goal was to improve healthcare for the African-American community. She fought against unfair racial separation in medicine at that time.
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About Helen Dickens
Helen Dickens was born on February 21, 1909, in Dayton, Ohio. She was the oldest of three children. Her parents were Charles Warren Dickens and Daisy Jane Dickens.
Her Parents and Early Life
Her father, Charles Warren Dickens, was a former slave. He was raised by a Union colonel from age 9. He later took the name Charles Dickens after meeting a famous British writer. He taught himself many things and was very smart. However, because of prejudice, he could only find work as a janitor.
Knowing how important education was, Charles Dickens went to Wilberforce University and Oberlin College. He later moved to Dayton, Ohio, where he met Helen's mother. Her mother, Daisy Jane Dickens (born Green), was from Canada. She worked as a domestic helper for a paper manufacturing family.
Her Education Journey
Both of Helen's parents wanted her to get a good education. They encouraged her to attend schools that were not separated by race. Helen's father told all his children to stay motivated in their studies. He wanted them to follow any career they chose.
Because of this, Helen decided to finish high school at 17 instead of 18. She did this by taking night classes. After high school, she earned a full scholarship to Crane Junior College in Chicago. There, she studied pre-medical classes.
Life at Crane Junior College was tough for Helen. She faced challenges because she was both Black and a woman. Many students treated her unfairly. But she always sat at the front of the class. This helped her focus on the professor and blackboard. It also helped her ignore her classmates.
After Crane Junior College, Helen continued her studies. She earned her B.S. from the University of Illinois in 1932. She then got her M.D. from the University of Illinois College of Medicine in 1934. In 1943, she earned her master's degree in Medical Science from the University of Pennsylvania. She was one of only two women in her M.D. class. She was also the only African-American woman in her class.
Her Family Life
Helen Dickens married Dr. Purvis Henderson. They had two children together. Their children were Dr. Jayne Henderson Brown and Norman Henderson.
Her Career and Work
Dr. Dickens started her career with a two-year internship. She worked at Chicago's Provident Hospital. There, she treated people with tuberculosis who were poor. After that, she became a resident doctor in Obstetrics.
She was inspired by Virginia M. Alexander. Dr. Alexander had founded the Aspiranto Health Home. This home was in a three-story house in North Philadelphia. Helen Dickens worked there, providing care for women's health and general medical needs. She helped many poor and underprivileged people. She often worked in very difficult situations. For example, once she had to deliver a baby using only the light from the street. To help with such problems, Dr. Alexander added four beds at the Aspiranto.
After working there for seven years, Dr. Dickens wanted to learn more. She spent a year at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. She passed her board exams. This made her the first African-American woman in Philadelphia to be certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology.
In 1943, Dr. Dickens was accepted for a residency at Harlem Hospital in New York City. She finished her residency in 1946. In the same year, she was certified by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
In 1948, she became the director of Obstetrics and Gynecology. This was at Philadelphia's Mercy Douglass Hospital, which was racially segregated. She stayed there until 1967.
After leaving the hospital in 1967, Dr. Dickens opened a new clinic at Penn. This clinic was special because it helped teen parents. It offered group counseling, therapy, education, and prenatal care. Two years later, in 1969, Dr. Dickens became the dean for minority admissions. Over five years, she helped increase the number of minority students at Penn. The number grew from 3 to 64 students.
During her time at Penn, she received an honorary degree in 1982. She also received one in 1979 from the Medical College of Pennsylvania.
Her Research and Awards
Dr. Dickens did important work in cancer services and education. She received many awards and honors for her work. Some of these included the Gimbel Philadelphia Award for "outstanding service to humanity." She was also named Medical Woman of the Year. Other awards included Distinguished Daughter of Pennsylvania and the Daisy Lumpkin Award. She also received the Mercy Douglass Hospital Award and the Sadie Alexander Award.
Awards and Legacy
In 1986, she received a Candace Award from the National Coalition of 100 Black Women.
In 1991, she received a very special award at Penn's Women of Color celebration. This award was named after her: the Dr. Helen O. Dickens Lifetime Achievement Award. It was given to people who had helped Women of Color for a long time. This included women in the Penn and Delaware Valley communities.
She gave her career papers to the University of Pennsylvania in 1994. She made another donation in 2002.
