The Connie Guion Archive

1882

Born August 29 on River Bend Plantation near Lincolnton, North Carolina (ninth of 12 children).

1892

Family moved to Charlotte, North Carolina. Attended public schools, then Miss Kate Shipp’s School in Lincolnton.

1900–1902

Attended Northfield Seminary (now Northfield Mount Hermon School) in East Northfield, Massachusetts.

1902–1906

Attended Wellesley College, graduating with a B.A. in 1906 (on scholarship).

1906–1908

Taught chemistry at Vassar College as an instructor.

1908–1913

Professor and head of the chemistry department at Sweet Briar College, Virginia.

1913

Earned M.A. in biochemistry from Cornell University with a thesis on purine metabolism.

1917

Earned M.D. from Cornell University Medical College, graduating first in her class.

1917–1919

Medical internship and residency at Bellevue Hospital’s Cornell Division (helped end 24-hour shifts for interns).

1922

Helped establish the Cornell Pay Clinic, providing affordable care for the underserved in New York City.

1929

Became Chief of the Cornell Pay Clinic (later the Outpatient Department, NY Hospital-Cornell Medical Center), serving until 1953.

1932

Appointed Chief of the General Medical Clinic.

1946

Became the first woman in the United States appointed Professor of Clinical Medicine.

1947

First woman member of the New York Hospital’s Medical Board.

1949

Received the Elizabeth Blackwell Citation from the New York Infirmary.

1950

Awarded honorary Doctor of Science from Wellesley College.

1951

Received Northfield Award for Distinguished Service; first woman to win Cornell University Medical College Alumni Association’s “award of distinction.”

1952

First woman elected honorary governor of the Society of the New York Hospital.

Introduced a new curriculum for fourth-year Cornell medical students focused on continuity of patient care.

1953

Awarded honorary doctorate from the Woman’s Medical College of Pennsylvania.

1954

Named “Medical Woman of the Year” by the American Medical Women’s Association.

1957

Granted honorary degree from Queens College in Charlotte, N.C.

1963

New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center dedicated the “Connie Guion Building”—the first hospital building in the U.S. named after a living woman physician.

Received Jane Addams Medal from Rockford College.

1964

Sweet Briar College dedicated the Connie Guion Science Building in her honor.

1965

Awarded honorary degree from the University of North Carolina.

1971

Died April 30, in New York City at age 88. No funeral service was planned; a memorial was held at St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church, NYC.