{"id":134410,"date":"2026-03-10T12:40:16","date_gmt":"2026-03-10T12:40:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/134410\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T12:40:16","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T12:40:16","slug":"festival-at-drexel-on-saturday-celebrates-the-worlds-first-ever-medical-school-for-women","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/134410\/","title":{"rendered":"Festival at Drexel on Saturday celebrates the world\u2019s first-ever medical school for women"},"content":{"rendered":"

Love Philly? So do we. Let\u2019s be friends. The Billy Penn newsletter keeps you informed about everything Philly, with a quirky vibe of healthy skepticism and persistent optimism. Join us and sign up today.<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cThe Pennsylvania Hospital on Saturday was the scene of an outrage, repetition of which will, we sincerely hope, result in the summary punishment of the offenders,\u201d began an angry article published in Philadelphia\u2019s Evening Bulletin in November 1869.<\/p>\n

The offense? A group of female students from the Women\u2019s Medical College of Pennsylvania<\/a> had gotten permission to attend clinical lectures at the hospital, and male medical students turned out in force to jeer at them.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese gallant gentlemen assailed the young ladies as they passed, with insolent and offense language, and then followed them into the street, where the whole gang, with the fluency of long practice, joined in insulting these helpless, unprotected women,\u201d the paper seethed.<\/p>\n

As bad as that infamous \u201cJeering Episode<\/a>\u201d was, the presence of women students at the lectures actually represented a major advance from a couple decades earlier.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Students attended a clinical lecture at the Women\u2019s Medical College of Pennsylvania, in a photo first published in 1916-1917. (Courtesy of Drexel University)<\/p>\n

Before the founding of the college \u2014 the world\u2019s first-ever medical school for women \u2014 it was \u201creally difficult for women to be exposed to professional medicine,\u201d said Charles Cairns, dean of Drexel University College of Medicine, the WMC\u2019s successor institution. \u201cFrankly, they were excluded. They were discriminated against.\u201d<\/p>\n

The groundbreaking establishment of the Women\u2019s Medical College in 1850 by a group of progressive Quakers and a businessman, and the many achievements of its graduates<\/a>, will be celebrated at an event at Drexel on Saturday.<\/p>\n

The event is the latest in the \u201c52 Weeks of Firsts\u201d \u2014 a year-long series of \u201cFirstivals\u201d the Philadelphia Historic District 250th Committee is putting on to celebrate the nation\u2019s 250th birthday and the city\u2019s central role in U.S. history.<\/p>\n

Pioneering school now one of nation\u2019s biggest\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Every Saturday in 2026, the free events offer storytelling, performances, exhibits, souvenir giveaways and activities for kids and adults to celebrate innovations or \u201cfirsts\u201d that originated in Philadelphia.<\/p>\n

Recent Firstivals have commemorated the nation\u2019s first flower show<\/a>, a historic protest against slavery<\/a>, and the first authentic Chinatown Friendship Gate<\/a>, among other firsts.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

This weekend\u2019s Firstival focusing on the Women\u2019s Medical College and its successor institutions will be held Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Drexel University, 60 N. 36th St.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The event will highlight historical artifacts from the university\u2019s collections, such as written minutes from the college\u2019s first meetings, course materials and photos from the era, said Cairns, a physician who is also a senior vice president at Drexel.<\/p>\n

\"\"Artist Alana Sxmone decorated a number 1 statue for this Saturday\u2019s Firstival event celebrating Philadelphia\u2019s former Women\u2019s Medical College. (Photo by Gustavo Garcia\/Colibr\u00ed Workshop)<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople will be exposed to the history of the medical school, how it\u2019s evolved over the years, and frankly, what it\u2019s become now \u2014 at Drexel, we\u2019re the largest private medical school in the United States that\u2019s M.D.-granting,\u201d he said. \u201cThe legacy of excellence and impact and innovation lives on from those lessons from 1850.\u201d<\/p>\n

Festival-goers can also check out artwork commissioned for the event. For each Firstival, an artist decorates a 5-foot foam statue, in the shape of a \u20181,\u2019 with images related to that week\u2019s theme.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Artist Alana Sxmone, who lives in Roxborough, said she was inspired by the evolution of medical tools and wanted to show the physical differences between those of the 1850s and modern devices.<\/p>\n

\u201cOn one side, I created a 1850s woman figure in black and white \u2014 because that\u2019s usually how we see the women from the era in black and white photos, and I use a cross hatching art style to also fit that time,\u201d she said. \u201cOn the modern side, I depicted a modern doctor in color, to show the growth of medicine and the profession.\u201d<\/p>\n

First medical colleges, matchbook, and stadium coming up<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s the complete list of other firsts being highlighted this year, along with the upcoming Saturday Firstival dates and locations.<\/p>\n

Completed<\/p>\n

Week 1:\u00a0 Successful balloon flight in America (1793)<\/a><\/p>\n

Week 2: The Mummers parade, the nation\u2019s first folk parade (1901)<\/a><\/p>\n

Week 3: Volunteer fire company (1736)<\/a><\/p>\n

Week 4: Professional basketball league (1898)<\/a><\/p>\n

Week 5: Public Girl Scout cookie sale (1932)<\/a><\/p>\n

Week 6: African Methodist Episcopal congregation (1794)<\/a><\/p>\n

Week 7: Abolitionist society in America<\/a> (1775)<\/p>\n

Week 8: Authentic Chinese gate built in America<\/a> (1984)<\/p>\n

Week 9: Public protest against slavery in America<\/a> (1688)<\/p>\n

Week 10: Flower Show<\/a> (1829)<\/p>\n

Upcoming<\/p>\n

\u2022 Women\u2019s medical college (1850)
March 14, Health Sciences Building, Drexel University, 60 N. 36th St.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Matchbook (1892)
March 21, Science History Institute, 315 Chestnut St.<\/p>\n

\u2022 The first medical school in America (1765)
March 28, Perelman School of Medicine, 3400 Civic Center Blvd.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Stadium in America (1895)
April 4, Franklin Field, 235 S. 33rd St.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Circus performance in America (1793)
April 11, Philadelphia School of Circus Arts, 6452 Greene St.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Botanical garden (1728)
April 18, Bartram\u2019s Garden, 5400 Lindbergh Blvd.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Postmaster (1737)
April 25, Franklin Court, 322 Market St.<\/p>\n

\u2022 American-made piano and sousaphone (1775 and 1893)
May 2, Ensemble Arts Philly, 300 S. Broad St.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Mother\u2019s Day (1908)
May 9, Historic St. George\u2019s Museum & Archives, 326 New St.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Hospital in America (1751)
May 16, Pennsylvania Hospital, 800 Spruce St.<\/p>\n

\u2022 World\u2019s Fair on American soil (1876)
May 23, Please Touch Museum, 4231 Avenue of the Republic<\/p>\n

\u2022 Steamboat for passengers and freight (1787)
May 30, Independence Seaport Museum, 211 S. Christopher Columbus Blvd.<\/p>\n

\u2022 American flag (1777)
June 6, Betsy Ross House, 239 Arch St.<\/p>\n

\u2022 U.S. Army (1775)
June 13, Museum of the American Revolution, 101 S. 3rd St.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Annual Reminder demonstration (1965)
June 20, Philly Pride Visitor Center, Lombard St. and S. 12th St.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Paper maker in America (1690)
June 27, Rittenhouse Town, 6034 Wissahickon Ave.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Bank of the United States (1791)
July 4, First Bank of the United States, 120 S. 3rd St.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Organized baseball team (1831)
July 11 (location TBD)<\/p>\n

\u2022 Ice cream soda (Oct. 1874)
July 18, Franklin Fountain, 116 Market St.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u2022 American art school (1805)
July 25, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, 118-128 N. Broad St.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Scientific Society of Natural History (1812)
Aug. 1, at Academy of Natural Sciences, 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway<\/p>\n

\u2022 Zoo in America (1874)
Aug. 8, Philadelphia Zoo, 3400 W. Girard Ave.<\/p>\n

\u2022 U.S. Mint (1793)
Aug. 15 (location TBD)<\/p>\n

\u2022 Selfie (1839)
Aug. 22, Love Park, 1501 John F Kennedy Blvd.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Slinky (1943)
Aug. 29, Philadelphia Art Museum, 2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway<\/p>\n

\u2022 Signing of the Constitution (1787)
Sept. 5, National Constitution Center, 525 Arch St.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Continental Congress (1774)
Sept. 12 at Carpenters\u2019 Hall, 320 Chestnut St.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Naming of the United States (1776)
Sept. 19, Independence Hall<\/p>\n

\u2022 Ronald McDonald House (1974)
Sept. 26, Ronald McDonald House, 3925 Chestnut St.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Penitentiary in America (1829)
Oct. 3, Eastern State Penitentiary, 2027 Fairmount Ave.<\/p>\n

\u2022 The First Peoples
Oct. 10, Penn Museum, 3260 South St.<\/p>\n

\u2022 U.S. Navy and Marine Corps (1775)
Oct. 17, Arch Street Meeting House, 320 Arch St.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Public showing of a motion picture (1870)
Oct. 24, Philadelphia Film Society, 1412 Chestnut St.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Modern detective story written (1841)
Oct. 31, Edgar Allan Poe House, 532 N. 7th St.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Thanksgiving Day parade in America (1920)
Nov. 7, Benjamin Franklin Parkway<\/p>\n

\u2022 University in America (1740)
Nov. 14, Houston Hall, The University of Pennsylvania, 3417 Spruce St.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Children\u2019s hospital in America (1855)
Nov. 21, Children\u2019s Hospital of Philadelphia, Main Building, 3401 Civic Center Blvd.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Pencil with an attached eraser (1858)
Nov. 28, National Liberty Museum, 321 Chestnut St.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Weather bureau (1870)
Dec. 5, The Franklin Institute, 222 N. 20th St.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Electronic computer (1945)
Dec. 12, The University of Pennsylvania, 3451 Walnut St.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Public lending library in America (1731)
Dec. 19, The Library Company of Philadelphia, 1314 Locust St.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Philly food firsts: Cheesesteaks (1930s), water ice (1932) and bubble gum (1928)
Dec. 26, Reading Terminal Market, 1136 Arch St.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Love Philly? So do we. Let\u2019s be friends. The Billy Penn newsletter keeps you informed about everything Philly,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":134411,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[62062,4000,62063,227,564,94,57123,69,71,48264,70,9880,62064],"class_list":["post-134410","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-philadelphia","tag-52-weeks-of-first","tag-america-250","tag-drexel-university-college-of-medicine","tag-education","tag-featured","tag-history","tag-pennsylvania-hospital","tag-philadelphia","tag-philadelphia-headlines","tag-philadelphia-historic-district","tag-philadelphia-news","tag-semiquincentennial","tag-womens-medical-college-of-pennsylvania"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/134410","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=134410"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/134410\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/134411"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=134410"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=134410"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=134410"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}