M. Belle Brown

Mary Belle Brown, M.D. (March 1, 1846 – July 13, 1924) was an American physician and surgeon, one of the few women in medicine of her time to perform surgery. She was professor and dean of the New York Medical College and Hospital for Women.

Early life and family

M. Belle Brown was born in Staunton Township, Miami County, Ohio, on March 1, 1848. Her father, Daniel Brown (1809–1877), was born in Rhode Island and moved west in 1828. M. Belle Brown was the granddaughter of Arnold Brown and the great-granddaughter of Reverend Chad Brown, a co-founder of Providence Plantations who emigrated to the United States from England in 1638,

M. Belle Brown's mother's name was Telford, and her ancestors were of the Jennings family from England. Brown's maternal grandfather was Andrew Telford, a pioneer of Miami County. Brown's maternal grandmother, Eliza Telford (1816–1899), was the neighborhood doctor in emergencies and kept salves and liniments for everybody who desired them.

Personal life After a 40 year career, M. Belle Brown retired to Troy, Ohio in 1917.

During World War I, Brown was active in raising funds for the American Hospital of Paris, as well as for the Red Cross.

Brown died on July 13, 1924, in Troy and is buried at Riverside Cemetery, Troy, Section 3, Lot 118, with her family.