Martha Ripley

Martha George Rogers Ripley (November 30, 1843 – April 18, 1912) was an American physician, suffragist, and professor of medicine. Founder of the Maternity Hospital in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Ripley was one of the most outspoken activists for disadvantaged female rights. A prominent leader in the American Woman Suffrage Association, Ripley also served six years as president of the Minnesota Woman Suffrage Association.

Early years and personal life Martha George Rogers was born November 30, 1843, in Lowell, Vermont, the oldest of five children of Esther Ann (George) and Francis Rogers, a stock farmer.

Medical and public health career Ripley's concern over the health issues facing women who worked in the Massachusetts textile mills prompted her to go to medical school. "Her ashes were eventually placed in the cornerstone (...)" of this current building.