Dr. Susan Mckinney

History 2381 Tues-Thurs
Professor P

Dr. Susan McKinney

Born Susan Maria Smith in March of 1847, she was of mixed European, African, and Shinnecock Indian ancestry, the seventh of ten children by Sylvanus and Ann S. Smith. Both of whom were active in civic affairs and members of the Brooklyn black elite. Dr. Susan McKinney entered the New York Medical College for Women in 1867, graduating three years later as class valedictorian. She was the first black female to practice medicine in New York State, and the third in the nation. No other female doctors equaled her in social or medical prominence.
There are several possible explanations for McKinney’s career choice. It’s possible she may have been shocked by the deaths of her two brothers during the Civil War. Also, during 1866, Brooklyn had a death rate that was skyrocketing because of a cholera epidemic. She also attended to her sick niece for a while, which also could have convinced her to become a medical pr...