29 November 2018

Dr. Edith Warner Cadwallader

In about three years of medical history research, I have turned up a few people whose stories intrigue at the same time that they perplex me and it was for them, at least in part, that I created this blog. Sometimes, no matter how hard I research, no matter how many questions I ask, these people remain buried in the past and I know too little about them to write an academic article for publication. Regardless, someone should know their stories even if the rest of the world has forgotten.

Dr. Edith Cadwallader Crowder was one of my first research interests and she caught my attention through a 1900 photo in the Drexel University College of Medicine archives that shows her, probably in her living quarters, dressed in men's trousers and waistcoat, with the caption "The Manly Medic". I was a costume historian at the time and the subject of female physicians and gender experimentation seemed like a ripe topic. One thing led to another and I became a medical historian with perhaps a "side" of costume history left over from my time as a theatrical costumer and historic textile conservator.

Drexel University College of Medicine Archives and Special Collections P0289

Dr. Cadwallader was a brilliant student and a brilliant physician according to testimony by her peers.  She showed an early aptitude for medicine, but she died in 1906 at age 35, barely six years after graduating medical school (1). That she could be forgotten so completely despite so many admirers is sad, but now she will be remembered.

Edith Warner Cadwallader was born in Titusville, Pennsylvania, on 3 September 1871 to parents Jacob Augustus Cadwallader, a Union veteran of the American Civil War, and Mary Anna Warner Cadwallader. She was the oldest of three sisters, born about four years after her parents' marriage in 1867. Elinor was born in 1873 and Mary Augusta in 1876. Her family were descended from a long line of eastern Pennsylvania Quakers (2).

Early on in her life, Edith showed enormous learning aptitude and was known for her compassion and powers of observation. She graduated valedictorian from her high school and was only a few days past her 16th birthday when she entered Smith College for her undergraduate studies, her sights already set on becoming a physician. At Smith College she distinguished herself as a student and as a leader. During her time as an undergraduate she held several important student body positions, including president of the Junior class. Her extracurricular activities included drama and she effortlessly found time to set herself up for her future career in medicine (3).

Edith graduated Smith College in 1891 (4). A year later she departed home with several friends to spend a year and a half touring Europe, including Greece, Italy, Germany, and Britain, where she held a residency at Oxford University. True to her earlier academic character, she distinguished herself there as well. Upon her return to the United States in 1893, Edith Worked as a teacher in Titusville, Pennsylvania (5, 6) teaching history and geometry (7) until she entered the Women's Medical College of Pennsylvania in 1896 (8). The WMCP was one of several women's only medical colleges in the United States, founded with the mission of providing educational opportunities to women who wanted to enter medicine but who were so often denied entrance to "men's" universities. During its operation it graduated many women who went on to become skilled physicians who changed the face of medicine. Through several merges it is now the Drexel College of Medicine, but at the time it was a beacon of opportunity for talented young women like Edith Cadwallader who wanted to break with tradition and study medicine.

Edith's 1892 passport
Source: familysearch

At the WMCP, Edith impressed all of her professors and once again she sought out and achieved student body leadership positions. It was noted that, in contrast with all the other students who stayed up all hours in study, Edith learned effortlessly and maintained an active social life throughout her time in medical school. During her student career, Edith was elected President of her class and, later, President of the Students' Medical Association (9).

 Dr. Cadwallader's graduation photo (Women's Medical College of Pennsylvania class of 1900); she is in the front row, at the end on the left
Drexel University College of Medicine Archives and Special Collections P2986

Dr. Cadwallader earned her M.D. in 1900 (10). It was still early days for women physicians and so many struggled to find interneships, but Dr. Cadwallader easily won one at the Woman's Hospital of Philadelphia. At the completion of her one year's term as interne, Dr. Cadwallader was elected to chief resident, almost unheard of for such a recent medical school graduate. There she served with distinction and everyone she worked with and treated trusted in her abilities (11, 12).

Despite her success, Dr. Cadwallader wished to obtain more skill as a physician. To that end, she set sail for Austria to study at the Pathological Institute of Vienna. She studied there for eight months under many well-known physicians and surgeons, who, like her previous professors, developed an appreciation for her skills and ability to learn. According to Dr. Joseph Halban, one of her professors and head of the department of gynecology, Dr. Cadwallader "had more brains than any woman he knew". She was also invited by Dr. Halban to perform a caesarean section in front of over a dozen of her (male) peers, a rare honor for anyone, let alone a woman (13).

"The Thanksgiving Turkey Leftover", taken during Edith's time as a student at WMCP
Left to right:Edith Cadwallader, Eloise Meek, Rachel Robbins Steiren
Drexel University College of Medicine Archives and Special Collections P0290

Philadelphia, however, was not done with her. In 1904 Dr. Cadwallader was elected to the Chair of Obstetrics at Women's Medical College of Pennsylvania (14), so, with her time remaining in Vienna, she devoted herself to the study of all aspect of gynecology and obstetrics. Her professors in Vienna arranged it so that she could assist and attend at a wide range of obstetric cases in order to prepare her for her new position. She arrived in the United States via Ellis Island on 5 August 1903 (15) and traveled quickly to Philadelphia to assume her chairship before classes resumed in September (16).

As Chair of Obstetrics Dr. Cadwallader's energy and effort were once again unsurpassed. Using a building that had previously been used as a student-run clinic, she set up a four-bed maternity home under the auspices of the WMCP and with some help from the WMCP students. Her first patient delivered twins on 13 October 1903. Third and fourth year students would come to Dr. Cadwallader to learn obstetric medicine and her clinic was the ideal environment for that, the beds always full and with out-patient cases in addition. During the first year, running the clinic fell almost entirely upon Dr. Cadwallader and the head nurse, who barely managed to rest in between deliveries, so in demand were their services and skills. (17) One of the few absences Dr. Cadwallader took was a trip back to Titusville to tend to her father, who died of illness in mid December 1903. (18)

The maternity clinic expanded in July 1904 and a regular interne was added to assist Dr. Cadwallader. Student nurses also came to the clinic to train with Dr. Cadwallader and her staff. Dr. Cadwallader was especially busy owing to the resignation of the interne in charge of the dispensary, which therefore also fell under her jurisdiction. Between that and the business of the maternity clinic, Dr. Cadwallader had almost no time to herself and was always caring for one, or several, cases. She never complained of the burden, carrying out her duties skillfully and compassionately. At one time, she was requested to deliver the child of a woman whom she had delivered during her time as a student; no other physician was acceptable. Her students loved and respected her and she gave freely of her time to see that they were taught. (19)

During her time in Vienna, Dr. Cadwallader met another physician named Dr. Thomas Reid Crowder. He was also there to study at the Pathological Institute and they began to spend time together and fell in love and, in 1905, became engaged. (20) Her upcoming nuptials precipitated her Summer 1905 departure from her professorship at the Women's Medical College of Pennsylvania. (21) They were married on 26 October 1905 at St. James Memorial Church in Titusville, Pennsylvania. Since Dr. Cadwallader's father was dead, she walked to the altar with her mother. (22) They spent a short honeymoon in Asheville, N.C., before going to Dr. Crowder's home in Chicago. (23)

Dr. Cadwallader and Dr. Crowder's marriage license
Source: familysearch

Dr. Cadwallader appears to have given up medical practice after marriage and she spent the rest of her short life with her husband in Chicago. As her friend wrote in her obituary, "From the sanctuary of her home we may not draw the veil. There her life was crowned with a year of exquisite bliss, and there, August 18, 1906, "Her sun went down while it was yet day."" (24)

It is thanks to a lengthy obituary, filed in the Drexel University archives, that I was able to learn so much about how the various stages of Dr. Cadwallader's intertwined, but it leaves the mystery of why such a talented and energetic woman as she died so sudden and so young. On this subject the obituary gives a few passing clues. During her time in Vienna, it was noted that "Three times a week, from 10 P.M. until 2 A.M., Dr. Cadwallader attended confinement cases at night. When she chanced not to be in the hospital, she was called to interesting cases by the special manager. Often far from well, in bad weather or fine, Dr. Cadwallader conscientiously carried out every detail of the working plan she had laid out, that she might bring to the responsible position with which her college had honored her all that it was possible for her to glean from the work carried on at this largest hospital in the world." It is also heavily noted in the obituary that Dr. Cadwallader worked long hours and, while it also says they never seemed to weigh on her, overwork can be an illness in itself. I can only wonder if Dr. Cadwallader had some chronic condition that may have been exacerbated by overwork and if it may not have been a contributing factor to her decision to resign from her professorship, in conjunction with her marriage to Dr. Crowder.

My knowledge about Dr. Cadwallader ends there. As with any of my research interests, I occasionally run searches to see if anything new has come up, but after three years this is where I stand. If you are family of hers or have any additional information, please contact me so that I can add to her story!

Thanks are owed to the Drexel University College of Medicine Archives and Special collections, whose archivists always make themselves available to answer whatever questions I pose them, even those that are a bit "offbeat". Thanks in particular to Matthew Herbison, who put in extra effort to locate materials relating to Dr. Cadwallader.

Footnotes:
(1)  “Dr. Edith Warner Cadwallader.” Minutes of the Thirty-Second Annual Meeting of the Alumnae Association of the Women’s Medical College of Pennsylvania.  Philadelphia, PA: Women’s Medical College of Pennsylvania, 1906, obtained from the Drexel University Legacy Center Archives and Special Collections, filed in the Dead Alumnae Files.
(2) IBID
(3) IBID
(4) "Retrospective: June 28, 1891.” The Titusville Herald, 28 June 1926, https://newspaperarchive.com/titusville-herald-jun-28-1926-p-4?tag=edith+cadwallader&rtserp=tags/edith-cadwallader?page=5&pc=29279&psi=77&pci=7&pt=16508/.
(5) Smith College Catalog, ancestry.com.
(6)School Proceedings: Applications.” The Titusville Herald, 14 April 1894, accessed 27 May 2017, https://newspaperarchive.com/titusville-herald-apr-14-1894-p-3?tag=edith+cadwallader&rtserp=tags/edith-cadwallader?page=5&pc=29279&psi=77&pci=7&pt=16508/.  
(7) " School Proceedings: Applications.” The Titusville Herald, 14 April 1894, accessed 27 May 2017, https://newspaperarchive.com/titusville-herald-apr-14-1894-p-3?tag=edith+cadwallader&rtserp=tags/edith-cadwallader?page=5&pc=29279&psi=77&pci=7&pt=16508/.  
(8) “Dr. Edith Warner Cadwallader.” Minutes of the Thirty-Second Annual Meeting of the Alumnae Association of the Women’s Medical College of Pennsylvania.  Philadelphia, PA: Women’s Medical College of Pennsylvania, 1906, obtained from the Drexel University Legacy Center Archives and Special Collections, filed in the Dead Alumnae Files.
(9) IBID 
(10) "Class Lists." Register of the Alumnae Association of the Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania, Now The Medical College of Pennsylvania. Philadelphia, PA: The Medical College of Pennsylvania, 1970; 164.
(11) “Dr. Edith Warner Cadwallader.” Minutes of the Thirty-Second Annual Meeting of the Alumnae Association of the Women’s Medical College of Pennsylvania.  Philadelphia, PA: Women’s Medical College of Pennsylvania, 1906, obtained from the Drexel University Legacy Center Archives and Special Collections, filed in the Dead Alumnae Files.
(12) “Dr. Edith Warner Cadwallader.” Minutes of the Thirty-Second Annual Meeting of the Alumnae Association of the Women’s Medical College of Pennsylvania.  Philadelphia, PA: Women’s Medical College of Pennsylvania, 1906, obtained from the Drexel University Legacy Center Archives and Special Collections, filed in the Dead Alumnae Files.
(13) IBID
(14) " Brevities.” The Titusville Herald, 23 February 1903, accessed 27 May 2017, https://newspaperarchive.com/titusville-herald-feb-23-1903-p-3?tag=edith+cadwallader&rtserp=tags/edith-cadwallader?page=4&pc=29279&psi=77&pci=7&pt=16508/.
(15) "New York Passenger Arrival Lists (Ellis Island), 1892-1924", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JFT7-P22 : 30 January 2018), Edith Cadwallader, 1903.
(16) “Dr. Edith Warner Cadwallader.” Minutes of the Thirty-Second Annual Meeting of the Alumnae Association of the Women’s Medical College of Pennsylvania.  Philadelphia, PA: Women’s Medical College of Pennsylvania, 1906, obtained from the Drexel University Legacy Center Archives and Special Collections, filed in the Dead Alumnae Files.
(17) IBID
(18)  “Brevities.” The Titusville Herald, 8 December 1903, accessed 27 May 2017, https://newspaperarchive.com/titusville-herald-dec-08-1903-p-5?tag=edith+cadwallader&rtserp=tags/-edith-cadwallader-?pc=29279&psi=77&pci=7&pt=16508/; 5.
(19) “Dr. Edith Warner Cadwallader.” Minutes of the Thirty-Second Annual Meeting of the Alumnae Association of the Women’s Medical College of Pennsylvania.  Philadelphia, PA: Women’s Medical College of Pennsylvania, 1906, obtained from the Drexel University Legacy Center Archives and Special Collections, filed in the Dead Alumnae Files.
(20) "Dr. Tom Crowder Married.” Sullivan Democrat, 26 October 1905, accessed 27 May 2017, https://newspaperarchive.com/sullivan-democrat-oct-26-1905-p-14?tag=edith+cadwallader&rtserp=tags/?pep=edith-cadwallader&pr=30&/.
(21) “Dr. Edith Warner Cadwallader.” Minutes of the Thirty-Second Annual Meeting of the Alumnae Association of the Women’s Medical College of Pennsylvania.  Philadelphia, PA: Women’s Medical College of Pennsylvania, 1906, obtained from the Drexel University Legacy Center Archives and Special Collections, filed in the Dead Alumnae Files.
(22) "Cadwallader-Crowder Nuptials of Yesterday.” The Titusville Herald, 27 October 1905, accessed 27 May 2017, https://newspaperarchive.com/titusville-herald-oct-27-1905?tag=edith+cadwallader&rtserp=tags/edith-cadwallader?page=4&pc=29279&psi=77&pci=7&pt=16508/; 1.
(23) "Dr. Tom Crowder Married.” Sullivan Democrat, 26 October 1905, accessed 27 May 2017, https://newspaperarchive.com/sullivan-democrat-oct-26-1905-p-14?tag=edith+cadwallader&rtserp=tags/?pep=edith-cadwallader&pr=30&/.
(24) “Dr. Edith Warner Cadwallader.” Minutes of the Thirty-Second Annual Meeting of the Alumnae Association of the Women’s Medical College of Pennsylvania.  Philadelphia, PA: Women’s Medical College of Pennsylvania, 1906, obtained from the Drexel University Legacy Center Archives and Special Collections, filed in the Dead Alumnae Files.