Jane Craven

Jane Wells Craven (January 25, 1875 - March 3, 1958) was an American doctor, prize-winning tennis player, World War I ambulance driver and medic. Craven won the 1899 U.S. National Championships in women's doubles tennis, alongside her teammate Myrtle McAteer. She was awarded the Croix de Guerre in 1917 for her medical service in France during World War I. She later became a Roman Catholic nun and took the name Sister Elizabeth.

Early life and education Jane Wells Craven was born on 25 January 1875 in Lucknow, India, to Jane Maria (née Wells) (died 1914) and Reverend Thomas Craven. Her parents married in 1870, her mother was from New York state and her father was a Welsh-born Methodist Missionary. "Jennie," as she was known in the family, had three siblings: Theodora (born 1872), Henry (born 1874) and Merritt (born 1876).

The Craven family immigrated to the United States in 1879 and had settled in Evanston, Illinois, by 1880, where Jane Wells Craven attended Evanston Township high school. She studied medicine at Northwestern University in Evanston, graduating around 1898 with a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) degree from the American School of Osteopathy. Her siblings Theodora and Henry also attended Northwestern.

Craven eventually began playing lawn tennis and won the 1899 US Women's National Championship in women's doubles with Myrtle McAteer. They later played together on 30 June 1909 and won a qualifying match in the Western Pennsylvania Tennis Association tournament.

In 1900, Craven narrowly escaped marrying a serial bigamist when one of his wives wrote to her and warned her of the situation. She replied "Thank you for your warning. Have learned the truth in time".

Medical career By 1899, Craven was living and working in osteopathic medicine in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,

World War One Craven was instrumental in raising funds in Pittsburgh to take a field ambulance and crew to the French front during World War I. She intended to drive the ambulance herself. It was reported that "she narrowly escaped being captured by the Germans" on more than one occasion and that "her courage gained the admiration of the General Commander of Verdun", Auguste Hirschauer.

Conversion and becoming a nun Craven was born into a Protestant family, but formally converted to Catholicism soon after surviving her experiences during the First World War. General Auguste Hirschauer stood as godfather at her baptism. She joined the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul under the name of Sister Elizabeth. Initially based in France in the commune of Neuilly in the western suburbs of Paris, her role in the sisterhood was to care for the incurably sick and infirm. She later worked in Istanbul, Turkey, in the early 1930s.

In the postwar era in 1947, Sister Elizabeth was asked to attend the mayor's office once more. On arrival, she asked: "What have I done now to be summoned again to the Town Hall?" to be met with the news she was to be awarded the Cross of the Legion of Honour. She was later presented with the medal at the same ceremony as Winston Churchill, Britain's wartime leader. His daughters had asked to be present to see the nun honored.

Tennis

Grand Slam finals

Doubles (1 title)

Mixed doubles (1 runner-up) ResultYearChampionship SurfacePartnerOpponentsScoreLoss1899U.S. National ChampionshipsGrass James P. Gardner Elizabeth Rastall Albert Hoskins 6–4, 6–0 & ab.

Other finals

Doubles (1 runner-up)