Bertha Van Hoosen, M.D.
County: Cook
Location: Fine Arts Building, 410 S. Michigan Ave.,
Chicago (south lobby)
Erected: 1992Erected by:
Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy and The Illinois
State Historical Society
At this site on November 18, 1915, was founded the American Medical
Women's Association, dedicated to the support of women physicians and
women's health. As its founder and first president, Bertha Van
Hoosen, M.D., demonstrated her dedication to the women's medical
movement and her lifetime commitment to humanity as a physician whose
compassion for people equalled her comprehension of science.
Always at the forefront of medical knowledge, Dr. Van Hoosen's
involvement in medical technology included the development of
"Twilight Sleep," a procedure used in natural childbirth. During her
58 years of practice in Chicago she was a lifetime learner and
dedicated teacher. Her students are a tribute to her ultimate
commitment to the patients and physicians in the medical profession.
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