Stella M. Mason papers

Collection

Identifier: IWA0744

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The papers of Stella M. Mason date from 1852 to 1958 and measure 1.5 linear feet. The collection is arranged in two series: Scrapbooks and Artifacts. The papers document the life, medical practice, and personal interests of Stella M. Mason.

The Scrapbooks series (1852-1950) contains nine scrapbooks, dating from 1852 to 1950. Scrapbooks include newspaper clippings, prints, and commercial art.

The Artifacts series contains medical equipment and supplies, Mason's State of Iowa physician's certificate, correspondence from travels abroad, and a photograph of Stella Mason.

Dates

1852-1958

Creator

Mason, Stella M., 1861-1957 (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

The papers are open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Biographical / Historical

Stella M. Mason was born in 1861 near Edgewood, in Delaware County, Iowa. In 1885, she received BS and Master of Accounts degrees from Upper Iowa University in Fayette, Iowa. Mason taught for four years in New Hampton, Iowa, where she began studying medicine under Dr. Amos Babcock. In 1893, she received an MD from Hahnemann Medical College, a homeopathic institution and one of the only medical colleges in Chicago open to women at the time. In 1893, Mason began practicing medicine in Mason City, Iowa, where she was the first female physician and surgeon in the city. She practiced until 1943; when she retired, she was the longest practicing physician and only female physician in Mason City. (However, seven other women had practiced intermittently from 1893 to 1943). Mason belonged to many organizations, including Mason City Business and Professional Women's Club, the local chapter of the American Association of University Women, and Iowa State Medical Society. She was president of the Mason City Woman's Suffrage Association when the Nineteenth Amendment was passed. In 1947, Mason received an honorary degree from Upper Iowa University. Mason died in 1957 in Mason City, Iowa.