Mary Louise Brown facts for kids

Mary Louise Brown (1868 – March 9, 1927) was an important doctor and teacher. She spent over 25 years helping the Black community in Washington D.C. Mary Brown was the first African-American woman to get a special medical job in the military during wartime. She joined the Red Cross in 1918 during World War I.

Brown studied at the Howard University College of Medicine. She worked as a teacher at high schools and special teaching schools for the Black community. At the same time, she also worked as a doctor, often giving medical care for free to those who needed it.

Early Life and Education

Mary Brown was born in 1868 in Baltimore, Maryland. She grew up with eight brothers and sisters. Her father, John Mifflin Brown, was a bishop in a church called the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Because of his work, her family moved around a lot.

The children in the family were very talented. They were raised during the time after the American Civil War, known as the Reconstruction era. This was a period when new chances opened up for African Americans. Mary and her siblings wanted to have professional careers.

In the 1880s, Mary Brown finished school at the Normal School for Colored Girls in Washington D.C. A "normal school" was a place that trained people to become teachers. After graduating, Brown started teaching English at a high school in the city's Black community.

Becoming a Doctor

While she taught during the day, Mary Brown went to evening classes at Howard University. This university was, and still is, very important for Black students. First, she graduated from the university's Normal department. Then, she decided to follow her older brother, John Mifflin Jr., and study medicine. She attended medical college from 1894 to 1898.

In her graduating class of 1898, 32 students became doctors. Three of these new doctors were women. Mary Brown did something very special for women of color at that time. She continued her medical studies after graduation. She traveled all the way to Scotland to take more courses at the University of Edinburgh in 1899 and 1900.

When she came back to Washington D.C., Mary Brown lived at 1813 Vermont Avenue NW until she passed away. She balanced both her medical and teaching jobs. She taught in the mornings and worked as a doctor in the afternoons. She spent more than 25 years helping the Black community in Washington D.C. Having an advanced medical degree also helped her earn more money as a teacher. She went from teaching English in high school to teaching science at a normal school, which meant a big pay raise.

Red Cross Service in World War I

During World War I, in February 1918, Mary Brown received a special job with the Red Cross in France. This was a very important moment. She left for France on March 1, 1918, to care for soldiers who were hurt in the war.

Groups like the American Medical Women's Association (AMWA) and the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) worked hard to get these jobs for women doctors. Mary Brown's appointment was big news across the country. It was the first time a Black woman received a military medical job. In 1918, the Red Cross and the U.S. Army gave jobs to about 80 women. Only two of these women, including Mary Brown, were women of color.

Community Work and Activism

Mary Brown was very active in the Black community in Washington D.C. She often volunteered her medical skills for free. She worked with important women's groups of her time. These groups included the AMWA and the NAWSA, which helped her get her wartime job in 1918. She also connected with Katherine D. Tillman of the National Association of Colored Women and later with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

Later Life and Passing

Mary Brown passed away suddenly at her home on March 9, 1927. She was 59 years old. She was buried at Woodlawn Cemetery on March 12, 1927.

See also

• John Mifflin Brown
• Katherine D. Tillman
• Howard University
• Normal School for Colored Girls