FIRST DAY OF ISSUE
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First Womatt Pliysician
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OFFlCtAL FIRST DAY COVER
FlRST DAY OF ISSUE
of the community.
The site for the college, on the west bank of Seneoa
Lake, was selected b the Rev. John Hemy Hobart,
E ~ i s c o ~ aBlshoo
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of
Ymk. Hobart whhed to build
'% i&titution&t only of learning but of religious worship and inatrucoion in aid of the Chmch and its Ministry," on the foundations of the temporarily defunct
Geneva Academy, begun in 1W.
Thus, the college was, from the start, cloeely allied
with the Epiecopal Church. It wss on August 5, 1822,
that the first ten stndents began the atudiea so dewired
by the Rev. Hobart; seven of those would be among the
firet graduates of ,the college in 1826.
About 1825, Geneva College launched the first d what
has been a continuing geriee of "educ#ional experiments." The experiment, known then as "the English
course," established "a professorship in the hi&=
branches of English education,'' in addition to the reg u k religious and classical studies offered at mast
American colleges and universities, and was one of the
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forerunners of the modern curriculum.
On August 2, 1826, the day after the first commencement at Geneva College, the Rev. Jasper A h , then
President of Charleston College in Chumleaton, South
Carolina, was elected fist President of G e m Cdlege.
In 183435, a medical department was set up at the
college, and classes begun. It vvlas from t4nis
m a t " of Geneva Medical Co11ege, that Uzabeth*%E:
well would receive her MD degree, the first to be conf e d upon a woman in the western hemisphere, in
1849. The medioal department, closed by fire, was moved
to Syracuse in 1872, where it became the Medicul School
(and f o u n d i ~element) of Syracuse Univdty.
The true creator" of Hobart College wras Benjamin
Hale, who became prddent of Geneva College in 1836.
It was Hde, a man literally driven from his position of
professor cd chemistry at Congregationalist-influenced
Dartmouth C~llegebeoause he was ordained a minister
in the Episcopal Church, who guided the college through
its M e s t years, and, before his retirement in 1858,
saw the mune of the college changed, in 1851, to Hobart
Free College.
It was on the firm U s established by Benjamin Hale
that Hobart College sussgined itself, waa enriched and
hae r a s p 4 into the modern em. Its joimi
an a
coodnete status with William Smith College for%'omen,
in 1908, has strengthened both institutions.
42 8
If Martha Washington,
Whistler's Mother,
Susan B. Anthony and
Pocahontas, why not..
56x5
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.
No American woman in the field of medicine has ever been
honored by a U.S. postage stamp. Yet, more than 1,450
commemorative stamps have been issued. And of that
number, a m r e 22 women have b e g so honored. Of the
22, Martha Washington appears on seven issues. Whistler's
Mother on three, Suun B. Anthony and Pocahontas on
two eitch.
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First woman to be graduated from a medical college
(ineither North or South America.
.i
First woman to earn the degree Doctor of Medicine.
1
One hundred twenty-fwr years ago - in 1849 - the first
woman ever to receive an M.D. degree was graduated. She
was Elizabeth Blackwell. Four nations of the world have
honored women phvsicians, but the United States has never
honored the first one. The others were QumElisakth
(M.D.) of Belgium, Dr. Anna Heer of Switzerland, Dr. Rita
Lohto, first woman physician of Brazil, and Dr. Cecilia
Grierson, first woman doctor of Argentina.
3.
First woman to enter a hospital in the U.S. as an
interne.
4.
Founded first school for nurses in U.S.
5.
Established a medical school for women in 1866.
The United States has honored five physicians, but they
were all m. They were Dr. Crawford W. Long, Dr. Walter
Reed, Dr. Ephraim McDoweII, and the Mayo Brothers,
Drs. William and Charks.
Isn't it about time that the first woman in America to re-.
ceive the M.D. degree received her Just due?
CkY- InflronQg fiar l ndigent
.Famous m&pnixations. states, ci5iek historical events,
m a t H pwkr, utlldife, mrsemtion and W f i c causes
ham krrn tfteasbjaebaf
&ti* mrnps. But m l y
P ~ m n , n d m ~ ~ , w & l e s s W f i r s t
Help4 to establish Civil War batttd4191d nur.siq$
*vices.
WQkJdn'f the
uwrhmrsry d Dr. 0kc)lmlI's qnduattm in 1871 krqxoprWfqFtbe sf ram-
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8.
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9. 'Wow b&&
on health, social hygkne, and dims
rpnwention - Earn ssaepted as textbd<s.
10.
Fwnasd the National Health Society in England.
11,.
Fire and only woman physician listed on first
Wlcd Register of Great Britain.
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of H d j r t Md.Willm %idr OQIlegm strctd tha bell rdlirq In Wrt,1B??. iVm Pwtmaster GwwOI a d th.CWm%(z:SWnpAtSYhDryl.
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S#ietbakhalBaBck$crskwnhethmh?@5aIi;aEkp
of what mday b WIWHt Wiprr,
Fac the B l d c W ~Stamp
l ~ Appwal Committea
tartam& Emis
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Some prominent endorsers of the
Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell
U. S. Commemorative Postage Stamp
American Medical Association (A.M.A.)
American College of Physicians
Medical Society of the State of New York
Medical Society of ttie County of Monroe, Inc. (N.Y.)
'
RN, National Magazine for ~"rses
Ernest B. Howard, M.D. - Exec. V.P., A.M.A.
Henry I. Fineberg, M.D. - Pres., Medical pociety of N.Y.
Lewis M. Bluemle, Jr., M.D. - Pres., The Medical Center,
SUNY Upstate
Martin Farber, M.D. - Dept. Obs. and Gyn., Tufts U.
School of Medicine
G. Donald Whedon, M.D. - Director, Nat. Inst. of Arthritic
and Metabolic Diseases
Lucie A. Petrie, Ph.D. - Past Pres., Womans Philatelic
Society of N.Y.
Gov. Nelson A. Rockefeller
U.S. Senator Jacob K. Javits (N.Y.)
U.S. Senator James S. Buckley (N.Y.)
U.S. Senator Edward J. Gurney (FI.)
, Add your support by writing to:
1. Your Congressman
- 2. Postmaster General E. T. Klassen
{Officeof the Postmaster General
' Washington, D. C. 20260
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3. Members of the Stamp Advisory Committee
Mr. Steven Dohanos, Chairman
Mr. Belmont Faries
Mr. William Douglas Arant
Mr. Robert J. Osterhoff
Mr. J. Carter Brown
Mr. Bradbury Thompson
Mr. Franklin R. Bruns, Jr.
Colonel Randle B. Truett
Mr. Emerson Clark
Mr. James B. Wyeth
Mr. James A. Conlon
C/O Office of the Postmaster General
I
lssue Date: January 23,1974
Ffmt Day Cfty: Geneva, New York
Designer: Robert Geissmann
Modeler: V. Jack Ruther
Engravers: Edward P. Archer (vignette)
Albert Saavedra (lettering)
Press: Cottrell
Color: Purple
Size: 0.75 x 0.87 inches
Stamps to Pane: 100
plate' Numbers: One
Elizabeth Blackwell
Regular Postage Stamp
The stamp honoring Doctor Elizabeth Blackwell, the first woman doctor of medicine of
modern times, will be issued at Hobart College, in Geneva, NY, where Dr. Blackwell
received her medical degree in 1849, The institution was then known as Geneva College.
The Is$!stamp is one of five new stamped-paper Items being issued to bet ready for
proposed new international rates which go into effect January 5, 1974. This denomination
will be the surface rate for intwnational mail.
The single color stamp features a photograph of Dr. Blackwell in the center. In a
semicircle around the portrait are the words "Elizabeth Blackwell-First Woman
Physician." Across the bottom is "US Postage I&$."
Flrst-day cancellations may be obtained by addressing requests to "1 8$!B l a c k e l l Stamp,
Postmaster, Geneva, NY 14456," enclosing the proper remittance and with requests
postmarked no later than January 23,1974.
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A stock list of stamps available at face value may be obtained by sanding a stamped,
self-addred envelope 60 the Ptrilatelic Sales Divisin, Wwhlngtan, DC POEM.
G
A s s GC
4z!3
Elizabeth Blackwell
stamp in short supply
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By PAT 0 7 0 0 L E
you're not the least bit happy
a out having to dish out three more
cents. a letter when the first class
postage rate jumps to 18 cents
tomorrow.
It may ease the pain to know that
the hike will also launch a prominent Genevan into national
recognition.
Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell in 1849
became the first woman doctor in
the Western Hemisphere when she
received her medical degree from
Geneva M e d i ~ a l College, now
Hobart College.
She was remembered for that
achievement 125 years later when in
1974 her likeness appeared on the
18-cent stamp.
But few people other than stamp
collectors and postal clerks knew of
this obscure stamp used for
delivering surface mail and overseas
packages.
With the 18-cent stamp coming
into wider use, Geneva's most
famous doctor, pictured on the
stamp, will wind up in more
mailboxes throughout the country.
But don't expect to find Geneva
history at the right-hand corner of
your mail right away.
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The U.S. Postal Service has a
short supply of the Blackwell stamp
and wiil need time to print more.
,Even the city's post office and
(substation at Hobart and William
ISmith Colleges have run out.
What you will see and use is a
temporary stamp marked with a
capital letter B, which, by the way,
doesn't commemorate the history of
our alphabet's second letter. It was
letter A's turn when temporary
stamps were issued during the last
increase to 15 cents.
, And, alas, when the Blackwell
stamp does become more conspicuous, it'll have to share the
limelight with stamps. bearing the
images of other famous persons,
said a postal spokesman i n
Washington, D.C.
With talk of the first class rate
leaping to 20 cents a letter within a
year, Elizabeth Blackwell's place in
the sun may be shortlived; she may
leave our envelopes but not our
history.
Miss Blackwell enrolled at
Geneva Medical College in 1847. A
historical review concerning her admission says:
"The dean of ;he medical college
on receiving the application of Miss
Blackwell for admission to regular
course was very much troubled and
in order to dispose of the unprecedented application of Miss
Blackwell decided to leave the matter to the student body and present
the question.
"The students, regarding the
whole thing as a hoax perpetrated
by some rival institution, returned a
hilarious chorus of 'ayes'. Still not
satisfied, they drew up a solemn
document pledging themselves to
welcome Miss Blackwell with all
the courtesy and consideration. To
their amazement, she came. The
men kept their word and treated her
beautifully ."
Some townsfolk thought she was
insane. Ohe area doctor suggested
that she go to Paris and enter
medical school disguised as a man.
Several employees of the colleges' alumni office had the same
uphill battle when they tried to get
the
postal service to issue a
Blackwell stamp.
It took seven years of writing to
stamp collectors who lobby for certain issues, senators, and other
politicians before the Blackwell
stamp was commemorated Jan. 23,
1974, said Lillian Cullens of the
alumni office.
Or. Blackwell's memory also lives
on in the form of the colleges' "Dr.
Elizabeth Dltrkwell Award," given
to women recognized for outstanding service to humanity.
Past recipients have included
Frances Perkins, secretary of labor
under President Franklin D.
Roosevelt; anthropologist Margaret
Mead and paleoanthropologist
Mary Leakey.
$4
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S u n d a y , July 5,
1981
Stamp News
46 issues
to be taken
off market
o
B y JAMES H.BRUNS
T h e U.S. Postal Service is
housecleaning this month, with 46
.different postal issues to be with:cra\vn from sale at its Philatelic
Sales Division'July 31.
Among the items to be pulled
from sale is a single commemorative stamp, three "special" issues,
11 definitive sheet stamps, six different coils. eight precancelled issues, and four stamp booklets. The
remaining items are postal stationery, including seven different
postal cards and six embossed
stamped envelopes.
The lone commemorative slated
to be cut is the 15-cent Emily Bissell
stamp: while the special issues, all
15-cent values. include the six Letter Writing stamps, the Vietnam
s e t e r a n s tribute, and the miniature
Dolly Madison issue.
m
The re ular eet stam s
wlthdra -n lnclude SIX o t e Promi-can
Series: the 7-cent
Bcnjamln Franklin adhesive, the 8cent Dwight Eisenhower stamp, the
1%-cent Henry Ford issue, the 15cent Oliver Wendell Holmes stamp
created from the original die .
2-
/
;
Amadeo
Americana series
The other definitives being cut
are from the Americana Series and
include the 13-cent Ea le and
Shield stamp, the l6cent tatue of
1.iberty issue. the 24-cent Old North
Church adhesive, the 28-cent Fort
Nisqually stamp, and the 29-cent
Lighthouse issue.
Of the coils being taken off sale,
the 3.5-cent nonprofit stamp is the
least expensive; followed by the 8.4cent bulk rate adhesive, the 9-cent
Freedom of Assemble stamp, the
13-cent liberty Bell issue, the 15
cent Fort McHenry Flag stamp, and
the 16-cent Statue of Liberty
adhesive.
The four stamp books facing r;?t l r e m e n t a r e t h e $1.20 F o r t
McHenry Flag booklet .for vending
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machines; the $2.4O+bses. booklet.
which also is for vending machine
sa'.es only; the $3.00 qver-the-counter Windmills booklet; anyihe $3.60
Holmes booklet.
In t h e precan. el category
roughly half are shgi%,.stamps,including the 3-cent p r i w Ballot
Box stamp, the 4-ce tditeraty issue,
the Scent Freedom..to Assemble
adhesive, and the I,3&'n~Eagleand
shield stamp. Pljecancelled coil
stamps slated for withdrawal include the 3-cent F&Mis:Parkman
issue, the 8.4-cent ki&~at.estamp.
the 9-cent Presort is#,~,,y$.'the.13cent stamp for presqtect.&ll.
Historicals a @
,
All of the postal ca lh eifig given
the axe are I Q e n t idgues; including
the undenominated John Hancock,
regular John Hancock. Casimer Pulaski, Iolani Palace, SBlt,Laf e Temple, Rochambeau and w g s Mountain cards.
Of the retiring embossed stamped
envelo s, three ar$? available in
both 6 and numbes 10 sizes, both
with and without windows. These
include the 25-cent Uncle Sam design, the 15-cent Veterinary Medi. cine envelope, and the 3.5 nonprofit
issue.
Collectors wishing to add any of
these items to their collection before they're retired from sale should
do so as soon as possible. Requests
and full remittance
should be
forwarded to "Philatelic Sales Division, U.S.Postal Service, Washington, D.C. 20265." Mail orders are
subject to a 50-cent handling fee and
there is a $5 minimum order requirement.
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tees of Hobart apd William Smith
Colleges of Geneva in asging that a
U.S. postage stamp be issued tb
memorialize Elizabeth Blackwell.
Miss Blackwell obtained her
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Finger Lakes Times, Geneva, N.Y. Tuesday, Sept. 11,2001
held at the Holiday Inn.
B l k a r s A g o (19710 Years Ago (1991)
The Education Department projected that student-loan defaults this
year will total about $3.6 billion,
nearly a 50 percent increase.
Geneva's C
i
t
y Council was asked
to appoint a new, more powerful,
role for the Lakefront Development Committee.
Bea Magner received the grand
prize for "Family Portrait" in Penn
Yan's annual Buckwheat Harvest
Festival photo contest.
2 0 Years Ago (1981)
The ~eagan?idm'inistration withheld a response to North Korea's
apparent firing of a surface-to-air
missile in the vicinity of a high-altitude U.S. spy plane.
Mrs..Jason Kipp was in charge
of a tour of the Geneva Woman's
Club building for prospective members.
Patricia Meyers, Burgess Road,
Waterloo, was named.Miss Genesee Area Teen-ager at a pageant
Ted Lewis, the bandleader and
song-and-dance man who asked
audiences the question, "Is everybody happy?" died at age 80.
Mr. and Mrs. Robert McCance,
residents of the Health Related
Facili of Geneva General Hospital
Nursing Home, were guests of
honor at a party in celebration of
their 30th wedding anniversary.
and East German Communist
threats to control the three air corridors they had been using for almost 16 years.
Fred Monaco, retiredwell-known
Geneva grocer, celebrated his
93rd birthday in the Margaret Ayre
Nursing Home on Pre-Emption
Road.
Jim Cook was the winner of the
Geneva Country Club golf championship for the third time.
The Board of Trustees of Ho- 50 Years Ago (1951)
bart and William Smith Colleges
Leonard Proseus, Walnut Street,
requested that a V
n
I Seneca Falls, "retired" after three
years as a Geneva Times carrier
boy, and turned his route over to
doctor in America and who grad- his brother, Roger.
uated from Geneva Medical College.
Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Vogt,
Lennox Park, Geneva, were guests
40 Years Ago (1961)
of honor at a surprise dinner in
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Venuti, celebration of their 50th wedding
Wadsworth Street, Geneva, were anniversary.
guests of honor at a family dinner and a reception in celebration
The United States, Britain and
of their 50th wedding anniversary. France agreed to provide $50 million in economic aid to ~ugoslavik
The three Western airlines fly- to support Marshal Tito's "contriing to West Berlin were reported bution to the security of the free
to be growing jittery over Soviet world."