Alice Drew Chenoweth (1903–1998) was an American physician who specialized in

pediatrics Pediatrics ( also spelled ''paediatrics'' or ''pædiatrics'') is the branch of medicine that involves the medical care of infants, children, adolescents, and young adults. In the United Kingdom, paediatrics covers many of their youth until th ...

and

public health Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals". Analyzing the det ...

, and served as the Chief of the Division of Health Services in the United States Children's Bureau. Earlier, Chenoweth was Director of Maternal and Child Health at the Department of Health of Kentucky. Her work in Kentucky drew national recognition, and she joined the U. S. Children's Bureau as a research pediatrician, and later moved to the Children's Bureau's International Division, before becoming the Chief of the Division of Health Services in the United States Children's Bureau.

Early life and education

Alice Drew was born and raised in

Albany, Missouri Albany is a city and county seat of Gentry County, Missouri, United States. With an annual growth rate of -0.30%. The population was 1,679 at the 2020 census. History Albany was originally called Athens, and under the latter name was platted in ...

. In 1924 she graduated from

Northwestern University Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world. Charte ...

with a degree in chemistry. And continued there to earn a master's degree at Northwestern in history in 1926. After graduation, she joined the faculty of a women's college in Montgomery, Alabama, and taught there for two years. Despite her father concerns about her being a physician, Drew enrolled in medical school, and graduated from Vanderbilt Medical School in 1932. After completing her medical degree, Drew did a pediatrics internship at Strong Memorial Hospital, the teaching arm of the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry in New York. In 1933 she began a residency at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland.

Medical career

Chenoweth was Director of Maternal and Child Health at the Department of Health of Kentucky. Her work in Kentucky drew national recognition, and she joined the U.S. Children's Bureau as a research pediatrician and later moved to the Children's Bureau's International Division. Eventually, she served as the Chief of the Division of Health Services in the United States Children's Bureau.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chenoweth, Alice Drew 1903 births 1998 deaths American pediatricians American women pediatricians 20th-century American women physicians 20th-century American physicians People from Albany, Missouri Vanderbilt University School of Medicine alumni Northwestern University alumni 20th-century American women scientists