Representative women of New England/Emma M. Woolley

by Mary H. Graves

EMMA MYRTICE WOOLLEY, M.D., was born in Owasco, Cayuga County, N.Y., July 8, 1859, daughter of George and Catherine (Freese) Woolley.

Her parents were married in the town of Aurelius, in the same county, in 1852. Her grandfather and grandmother Freese were of Dutch origin, and were among the pioneer settlers of Ulster County, New York. When their daughter Catherine was a small child, they journeyed to Indiana in a wagon—a remarkable trip it was considered, that State being regarded in those days as a part of the "Far West." After a two years' battle with fever and ague they returned to the little farm in Aurelius to spend the remaining days of their lives.

George Woolley, father of Dr. Woolley, was born in Cayuga County in 1831. He was educated in the common schools and the Auburn Academy. He followed farming until 1873. In that year he sold his farm in Owasco, and removed with his wife and their three children to Auburn, where he worked at various trades. In 1887, having removed to the Freese homestead in Aurelius, he resumed his former occupation. He is living in that town at the present time, as active as any of his younger neighbors. Mrs. Woolley, the Doctor's mother, died May 9, 1900. She was born in 1830. For several years previous to her marriage she taught school. Active-minded, energetic, and, withal, possessed of considerable literary abil- EMMA M. WOOLLEY ity, she was a prolific writer. Several of her poems and short stories were published in the local papers. Many of her sterling qualities were transmitted to her daughter.

Emma M. Woolley entered the Auburn High School in the fall of 1875, and was graduated in June, 1879. Her ambition at this time was to study medicine, but women doctors were •not popular with her friends and kinsfolk. Their opposition and the fact that her financial resources were limited caused her to adopt the more popular profession of teacher. After a service of six years in the country and village schools of Cayuga County she accepted a position in Americus, Kan., where she taught two years. She then continued her work as a teacher in Kansas City. Although a successful teacher, faithful in the performance of her duties, she never accepted this occupation as her life work, but with unwavering trust looked forward to the time when she could add to her name the title of M.D.

In the summer of 1888 she returned to her native town and spent her vacation with parents and friends. In 1890, having decided, after due deliberation, to carry out her long- cherished plan of study, she matriculated at the Boston University School of Medicine. With only a few hundred dollars, which she had saved from her salary as a teacher, her means were limited; and, to eke them out during the four years necessary to complete the course, she worked as a nurse many nights and in vacation. The money thus earned, with the small sums furnished by a self-sacrificing mother, enabled her to meet her necessary expenses. In 1894 she was graduated, and received from the Boston University the coveted medical diploma.

She at once located herself as physician at No. 1 Columbus Square, Boston, renting the house she occupied and doing whatever came to her hands to do. Although a career of starvation was predicted for her by some of her classmates, she set forth bravely, equipped with a sound physical, mental, and moral nature and an indomitable will. Unbounded energy and perseverance are the character- istics by which she has achieved her well-merited success.

In 1901 she purchased the house at No. 867 Beacon Street, Boston, removing her office to this new home, where she gives the best of her life to the relief of suffering humanity.