Rowena Grace Douglas Hume (January 14, 1877 – October 2, 1966) was a Canadian obstetrician and one of the founders of Toronto's Women's College Hospital. She was also the first Chief of Obstetrics at the hospital from 1911 to 1926.

Early life and education

Hume was born in

Galt, Ontario Galt is a community in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada, in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, Ontario on the Grand River. Prior to 1973, it was an independent city, incorporated in 1915, but amalgamation with the town of Hespeler, Ontario, the to ...

, in 1877. While she was in her 20s, she enrolled in the

Ontario Medical College for Women Women's College Hospital is a teaching hospital in Downtown Toronto, downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located at the north end of Hospital Row, a section of University Avenue (Toronto), University Avenue where several major hospitals are l ...

and concluded her studies in 1899 when she obtained an M.D. from

Trinity College Trinity College may refer to: Australia * Trinity Anglican College, an Anglican coeducational primary and secondary school in , New South Wales * Trinity Catholic College, Auburn, a coeducational school in the inner-western suburbs of Sydney, New ...

. After obtaining her M.D., she travelled to Chicago for postgraduate studies at the Women's Hospital and then to the

Queen Charlotte Hospital Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea Hospital is one of the oldest maternity hospitals in Europe, founded in 1739 in London. Until October 2000, it occupied a site at 339–351 Goldhawk Road, Hammersmith, but is now located between East Acton and Whi ...

in England for further postgraduate studies. Finally, she joined the staff of her alma mater, the Ontario Medical College for Women.

Career

In 1903 she joined the staff of the Ontario Medical College for Women as a Laboratory Assistant in Pathology and Bacteriology and an Assistant in Anatomy. She also worked at the college's Women's Dispensary. In 1911, Hume was a part of the founding committee of Women's College Hospital. Shortly after, she was appointed as the hospital's first Chief of Obstetrics, a role she held until 1926. Hume then opened her own private practice, which she maintained until she died in 1966. In addition to her work in obstetrics, Hume was also passionate about

birth control Birth control, also known as contraception, anticonception, and fertility control, is the use of methods or devices to prevent unwanted pregnancy. Birth control has been used since ancient times, but effective and safe methods of birth contr ...

programs. According to an article in ''The Globe and Mail'', in 1930 she volunteered at the Hamilton Planned Parenthood Society once a week because they could not find any doctors willing to volunteer.

Personal life

According to her obituary, Hume attended

St. Luke's United Church Saint Luke's United Church is located at 353 Sherbourne Street (on the southeast corner of Carlton and Sherbourne Streets) in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Originally built across the street from the old site of Toronto General Hospital, it is now ac ...

. She was also a member of the University Women's Club and volunteered at the Fred Victor Mission,

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and the Salvation Army's Harbour Light Centre.

Death

Hume died on October 2, 1966, when she was murdered. At the time she was retired, but was the oldest female doctor in Canada. One of the Metropolitan Toronto Police detectives investigating the crime, James Read, had been delivered by Hume at Women's College Hospital in 1922. Donald Cooke, a handyman working in her home, was arrested, convicted of the murder, and sentenced to life imprisonment.

Awards, recognitions and memberships

In 1907 Hume joined the

Academy of Medicine Academy of Medicine or Academy of Surgery may refer to: Asia Israel *Jerusalem Academy of Medicine Malaysia *Academy of Medicine of Malaysia Singapore *Academy of Medicine, Singapore Europe Austria * Josephinian Military Academy of Surgery * M ...

as a Resident Fellow, later becoming a Life Fellow (1950). In addition to her thriving career in obstetrics, she was also a member of several associations, including: The Women's Medical Alumnae Association of the University of Toronto, and the Federation of Canadian Women, where, in 1930, she became the Vice-President.

References

External links

The Miss Margaret Robins Archives
of Women's College Hospital
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Fonds
at the Archives of Women's College Hospital 1877 births 1966 deaths Canadian obstetricians Canadian women physicians Trinity College (Canada) alumni People from Cambridge, Ontario {{DEFAULTSORT:Hume, Rowena