U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn, Kirsten Gillibrand, and Susan Collins have successfully passed a Senate resolution to posthumously honor Dr. Mary Edwards Walker, the first female Medal of Honor recipient. The resolution was approved unanimously.
Senator Blackburn stated, “Dr. Mary Walker is the first and only woman ever to receive the Medal of Honor. As the first female U.S. Army surgeon during the Civil War, Dr. Walker blazed countless trails for American women while treating wounded soldiers in Chattanooga, serving at an orphan asylum in Clarksville, and advocating for women’s suffrage.”
Senator Gillibrand added her praise: “Dr. Mary Edwards Walker was a trailblazing surgeon, abolitionist, and suffragist. An Oswego native, she graduated with honors from Syracuse Medical College in 1855 as the only woman in her class and set up a medical practice in Rome before becoming a surgeon for the Union Army.”
Senator Collins remarked on Dr. Walker’s pioneering role: “A pioneer in both medicine and women’s advocacy, Dr. Mary Edwards Walker was the first female U.S. Army surgeon and the only woman to ever receive the Medal of Honor.”
The resolution highlights Dr. Walker’s significant contributions during her lifetime, including her work as an unpaid volunteer surgeon during the Civil War when women were not allowed to serve as medical officers. Her efforts included treating soldiers near front lines at Fredericksburg and Chattanooga and serving at various hospitals.
In 1865, President Andrew Johnson awarded Dr. Walker the Medal of Honor for Meritorious Service after her service with Ohio’s 52nd Infantry as an assistant surgeon.
The Senate resolution acknowledges Dr. Walker’s dedication to women’s rights through dress reform advocacy and support for women’s suffrage.
The document concludes by honoring Dr. Mary Edwards Walker’s legacy as a trailblazer in medicine and women’s rights advocacy while committing to ensure that her story continues to inspire future generations.
