Dr. Florence Rena Sabin
When a 73-year old woman was appointed as a health advisor on Colorado's Post-War Planning Committee in 1944, nobody thought the Central City native would rock the political boat. But this was medical and scientific pioneer Dr. Florence Rena Sabin, the first woman to graduate from Johns Hopkins Medical School, the first to become full medical professor there and the first woman elected to the National Academy of Sciences. Dr. Sabin could have sat quietly on that committee. Instead, she traveled across Colorado and opened many eyes to the sad state of the state’s public health. With energy, brilliance and a steely spirit, she changed the face of public health and medicine in Colorado, and ultimately improved and extended lives across the state. Today, Florence Rena Sabin’s statue is one of Colorado’s two contributions to the National Statuary Hall in the nation’s capital.
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Colorado Postcards are snapshots of our colorful state in sound. They give brief insights into our people and places, our flora and fauna, and our past and present, from every corner of Colorado. See more postcards.
