Romania B. Pratt Penrose facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Romania B. Pratt Penrose |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | Romania Bunnell August 8, 1839 Washington Township, Wayne County, Indiana, United States |
| Died | November 9, 1932 (aged 93) Salt Lake City, Utah, United States |
| Resting place | Salt Lake City Cemetery 40°46′37″N 111°51′29″W / 40.777°N 111.858°W |
| Alma mater | Women's Medical College of Pennsylvania |
| Spouse(s) | Parley P. Pratt Jr. Charles W. Penrose |
| Children | 7 |
| Parents | Luther B. Bunnell Esther Mendenhall |
Dr. Romania Bunnell Pratt Penrose (born August 8, 1839 – died November 9, 1932) was a very important woman in the Latter-day Saint (LDS) faith and in Utah. She lived in the late 1800s and early 1900s. She is famous for two big reasons. Romania was the first LDS woman to earn a medical degree. She was also the first woman doctor in the state of Utah.
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Growing Up: Romania's Early Life Journey
Romania Bunnell was born in Washington Township, Indiana. Her parents were Luther B. Bunnell and Esther Mendenhall. Her family joined the LDS Church before 1845. Soon after, they moved to Nauvoo, Illinois, to be with other church members.
In 1846, Romania's family faced hard times in Nauvoo. They, like many others, traveled to Winter Quarters. Romania's father worried about his wife's health there. So, they moved to New Market, Missouri. After a short stay, they went to Ohio.
In 1849, her father went to California to find gold. Sadly, he died there from typhoid fever. Romania and her family then moved to Crawfordsville, Indiana. From age ten to sixteen, Romania went to school. She attended the Western Agricultural School in Ohio. Then she went to the Female Seminary in Crawfordsville.
Romania's mother wanted her children to stay close to their faith. She sold their home and moved the family to Utah. Romania was baptized in Atchison, Kansas, on May 31, 1855. This was just before moving to Utah Territory. She traveled west with her mother, sister, and two brothers. They arrived in the Salt Lake Valley after four long months. Soon after, Romania taught at Brigham Young's school.
Family Life: Marriages and Children
On February 23, 1859, Romania married her first husband. His name was Parley P. Pratt Jr. He was the oldest son of Parley P. Pratt. Romania and Parley had seven children together. Five of their children lived to be adults.
In 1881, Romania and Parley got divorced. She later married her second husband, Charles W. Penrose, on March 11, 1886. He became a leader in the First Presidency of the LDS Church. Romania was his third wife.
Becoming a Doctor: A Woman of Medicine
In 1873, Romania heard President Brigham Young ask women to study medicine. At that time, Utah needed many more female doctors and midwives. Male doctors often did not treat women, especially during childbirth or illness.
Before going to medical school, Romania helped her husband. She edited his father's book, the Autobiography of Parley Parker Pratt. After this, she went to the Women's Medical College in New York City. Later, she studied at the Women's Medical College of Pennsylvania. She left her five children with her mother to pursue her dream.
Romania wanted to be a doctor because two of her children had died young. She knew the pain of losing a child. She wanted to help other mothers avoid that heartache. She also knew Utah needed more skilled doctors. She wanted to make a difference and help people who were suffering.
Romania did very well in her classes. She worked hard to catch up to her classmates. She even became the first woman allowed into Bellevue College. She was excellent at studying the human body. Professors often praised her work.
After her first year, Romania ran out of money. She talked to Brigham Young about her problem. He spoke with Eliza R. Snow, a leader of the Relief Society. The Relief Society sisters helped raise money for Romania. This allowed her to finish her schooling. She returned to the Women's College of Pennsylvania.
While in school, Romania studied many medical topics. These included surgery, women's diseases, and how the body works. She also learned about chemistry and childbirth. She was very interested in the eye and ear. During summers, she worked at a hospital in Boston.
On March 15, 1877, Romania graduated with her medical degree. She was the first Mormon woman to earn this degree. Before going home, she stayed in Boston. There, she focused on studying the eye, ear, nose, and throat. When she returned to Utah, she taught other women about medicine. She taught them how to be midwives. She also performed the first successful cataract surgery in the Midwest. Later, she wrote medical articles for the Woman's Exponent and the Young Woman's Journal.
Romania kept learning throughout her life. She often went back to New York. She attended lectures at the Eye and Ear Infirmary.
Leadership in Church and Medicine
Before studying medicine, Romania was a leader in her church. She was president of the Retrenchment Association in Salt Lake City. This group was an early version of the LDS Church's Young Woman's Organization.
In 1881, Romania became the treasurer for the Young Ladies Mutual Improvement Association. In 1882, the Relief Society opened the Deseret Hospital in Salt Lake City. Romania worked there as an eye and ear surgeon. The hospital closed in 1893 because it ran out of money. Romania was on the hospital's board of directors. She served as the general secretary of the Relief Society Central Board for over 30 years. She also taught nurses for the Relief Society. In 1889, when Susa Young Gates started the Young Woman's Journal, Romania wrote a health column for it.
From 1906 to 1910, Romania traveled with her husband. He was leading the European Mission for the church. She became the first wife of a mission president to lead the Relief Society in Europe. She helped set up Relief Societies there for the first time.
Fighting for Women's Rights: Women's Suffrage
Romania was also involved in the women's suffrage movement. This movement worked to give women the right to vote. In 1882, Romania went to a Woman's Suffrage Convention in New York. Before this, she wrote many articles in the Women's Exponent. These articles talked about why women needed the right to vote. In 1907, she represented Utah at a big meeting in Amsterdam. This was the International Woman Suffrage Alliance conference.
Later Years and Passing Away
After more than 35 years as a doctor, Romania retired in 1912. Her husband, Charles, died thirteen years later in 1925. Romania lived for seven more years after him. She became blind as she got older. Dr. Romania Pratt Penrose passed away on November 9, 1932, at the age of 93.
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Romania B. Pratt Penrose
