Louise Southgate facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Louise Southgate
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| Born | February 20, 1857 Walton, Kentucky
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| Died | August 14, 1941 (aged 84) Walton, Kentucky
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| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Western College, Laura Memorial College |
| Occupation | physician, child welfare advocate and suffragist |
Louise Southgate (February 20, 1857 – August 14, 1941) was an important doctor in Northern Kentucky. She was one of the first women doctors in the area. She also worked hard to help girls in the juvenile court system. Besides her medical work, she was a leader in the American women's suffrage movement. This movement fought for women's right to vote. She led these efforts through her local clubs and the Kentucky Equal Rights Association.
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Early Life and Education
Louise Southgate was born on February 20, 1857, in Walton, Kentucky. She was the oldest of eight children born to Bernard and Eleanor Flemming Southgate. She went to Western College in Oxford, Ohio. Later, she earned her medical degree from Laura Memorial College in Cincinnati, Ohio. After college, she spent two years studying in hospitals in New York and Europe. She even traveled to the Pasteur Institute in France for advanced medical training. Louise lived with her younger sister Virginia and never married.
A Doctor's Career
Dr. Southgate began practicing medicine at the Presbyterian Hospital in Cincinnati in 1893. She also taught at Laura Memorial College in 1894. She then worked as a doctor in Europe for two years. When she returned to the U.S., she continued her work at Presbyterian Hospital. She also taught surgical pathology at Laura Memorial College starting in 1897. She became a member of the American Medical Association in Cincinnati. In 1910, she bought her grandmother's old home. This house, at 124 Garrard Street, also became her private medical office. Later, she worked at Booth Memorial Hospital. She also wrote articles for medical journals, like the State Medical Journal of Kentucky.
Helping the Community with Medicine
Dr. Southgate was part of a growing movement to improve women's health. She gave talks on topics like "Care of the Growing Girl" and "Women's Duties in Civil Affairs." She shared her ideas with women's clubs, Mothers' meetings, and the Woman's Christian Temperance Union. Her work with schools and local clinics helped start a new rule. This rule made physical exams a requirement for schoolchildren in Covington.
In 1905, Dr. Southgate spent time at the Hindman Settlement School in eastern Kentucky. There, she taught classes and practiced medicine. She was helping women with their health concerns long before other famous nurses like Mary Carson Breckinridge of the Frontier Nursing Service.
Leading Women's Clubs and Suffrage Groups
Dr. Southgate was very involved with women's clubs and groups that fought for women's right to vote. Here are some of the groups she was a part of:
- Emergency Association of Covington, where she was president
- General Federation of Women's Clubs
- Kentucky Equal Rights Association (KERA), where she was a press leader and historian
- Kentucky State Federation of Women's Clubs
- National Equal Rights Association
- Ohio State Federation of Women's Clubs
- Woman's Club of Cincinnati
In 1910, she spoke at the 21st Kentucky Equal Rights Association (KERA) convention in Covington. Her speech was called "Sisterhood of Women." At that meeting, she suggested that KERA send greetings to the Kentucky State Federations of Colored Women's Clubs. Her influence was clear. The convention also asked the state to appoint a woman doctor at the state hospital in Hopkinsville. They also asked local groups to work on starting juvenile courts in counties that didn't have them.
In 1912, she spoke in Cincinnati to support women's right to vote. This was during a campaign to change the Ohio Constitution.
Interests and Hobbies
Dr. Southgate loved studying ancient Egypt. She collected many artifacts that decorated her historic home in Covington. This house is now known as the Kennedy-Southgate House.
Later Life and Legacy
After her sister Virginia passed away in September 1929, Dr. Southgate stopped practicing medicine. She became ill and died on August 14, 1941, at the age of 84. She passed away at her sister Eleanor Green's home in Walton, Kentucky. She was buried in Linden Grove Cemetery in Covington. In 1990, the St. Luke Hospitals named their Women's Center after her. Her contributions were also honored in 2000. She was included in the Kentucky Women Remembered collection by the Kentucky Commission on Women.
