What the Women Can Do- Seminar

“What the Women Can Do:” Doctors’ Wives and the American Medical Association’s Crusade Against Socialized Medicine

Author: Kelly O’Donnell, Thomas Jefferson University 
Comment: Oliva Weisser, University of Massachusetts, Boston

In the mid-twentieth century, the American Medical Association opposed attempts to create a national health program in this country, through lobbying and public outreach about the dangers of socialized medicine. Their most powerful weapon in this fight was a less conventional medical instrument: their wives. This paper examines the mobilization of the AMA Woman’s Auxiliary as the main “public relations firm” of organized medicine during these debates and their lingering influence on American health politics.

The Boston Seminar on the History of Women, Gender, & Sexuality invites you to come join the conversation. The seminar brings together a diverse group of scholars and interested members of the public to workshop a pre-circulated paper. Discussion is followed by a reception of light refreshments from 6:45-7:30 PM. Our sessions are free and open to everyone. 

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