Jefferson, Mildred Fay
1926-2010 · Contribution: 1951
Surgeon
First African-American woman to earn a medical degree from Harvard Medical School

Portraits are AI-generated interpretations, not photographs.
Quick facts
- Born
- 1926, Pittsburg, Texas
- Active since
- 1951
- Category
- Science & Medicine
- Best known for
- First Black woman to graduate from Harvard Medical School
Impact on the world
Jefferson broke multiple barriers for Black women in surgery, then became one of the most visible figures in the anti-abortion movement, drawing on her identity as a physician.
Sources
- Harvard Radcliffe Institute Schlesinger Library
1 more sources and references are available to members.
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