Emily Howard Jennings Stowe, M.D. 1831-1903

Photo by Alan L Brown - August 19, 2004

Plaque Location

The County of Oxford
The Township of Norwich
In Norwich, in front of the archives on the west side of County Road 59 at the northern end of town

Plaque Text

The first female physician to practise medicine in Canada, Emily Jennings was born in Norwich Township to Quaker parents. For some years she taught school, then, in the early 1860's, she decided to pursue a career in medicine. Refused admission to an exclusively male institution in Toronto, Stowe enrolled in the New York Medical College for Women. She received her degree in 1867 and, returning to Canada, established a successful practice in Toronto. A passionate advocate for social reform, Stowe campaigned vigorously for increased educational opportunities for women, effectively challenging the right of Canadian universities and medical schools to exclude female students. As first president of the Dominion Women's Enfranchisement Association (1889-1903), she also contributed significantly for the advancement of women's voting rights.

Related page:
Dr. Augusta Stowe Gullen

Related page from my torontohistory.org website:
Dr. Emily Stowe 1831-1903