[Letter from Dr. Charles A. Rush, Jr. to Linda L. Ramsey, January 6, 1987] Page: 3 of 12
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May Owen, MD
It has only been in the past few decades that women have begun to reach their full
potential, especially in professions traditionally thought of as a man's domain. Dr. May
Owen was one woman who forged a distinguished career for herself in medicine long
before it was considered acceptable for a woman to enter any profession. However, Dr.
Owen was determined. She knew from the age of nine that she wanted to be a doctor and
did not let anything stand in the way of her goal. Growing up on a farm near Marlin,
Texas, long hours and hard work were not new to her. To pay for her college education at
Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Dr. Owen worked part time at Terrell
Laboratories as a messenger and caretaker of animals. This was just the beginning of a
long and determined effort to complete her medical education.
Achievements in Medicine
Not only has Dr. May Owen made significant and lasting contributions in her chosen
specialty, pathology, she has devoted her medical career to developing a high quality of
medicine in all of the health professions.
Born in Falls County, Texas, Dr. Owen moved to Fort Worth in 1913 to complete high
school and attend college at Texas Christian University. She received a Bachelor of Arts
degree from TCU in 1917 and her medical degree from the Louisville Medical School in
Louisville, Kentucky in 1921.
After graduation and advanced studies in the Department of Surgical Pathology at the
Mayo Clinic and in the Medical Examiner's Department at New York's Bellevue Hospital,
Dr. Owen returned to Fort Worth and Terrell Laboratories where she became senior
pathologist and administrator of the school of medical technology.
In 1936, she discovered that a powder then being used in surgical gloves was not
absorbable and that a speck of it, falling into a wound during surgery, might cause scar
tissue and infection. After Dr. Owen's discovery, glove powder was made in absorbable
form. This discovery revolutionized the surgical practices of medicine. An honorary
doctor of science degree was awarded to her by Texas Christian University in 1936 for
this pioneering research.
Dr. Owen was named an honorary member of the American Veterinary Medical
Association in 1963 for her research and study of the cattle disease now recognized and
treated as chloro-naphline. She has also published numerous scientific papers which have
appeared in such publications as the Southern Medical Journal, the Texas State Journal of
Medicine, and American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Further, Dr. Owen is renowned for her research in the field of malignant tumors and in
1961 the Southern Medical Association commended her for "meritorious and original
research."
Professional Accomplishments
Dr. Owen's professional contributions and achievements are so extensive they could not be
described within the confines of this biographical sketch. Dr. Owen has dedicated her life
to medicine and health.
In 1947, Dr. Owen was elected the first woman president of the Tarrant County Medical
Society. In 1952, that society awarded her its annual Gold Headed Cane, traditionally
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Rush, Charles A., Jr. [Letter from Dr. Charles A. Rush, Jr. to Linda L. Ramsey, January 6, 1987], letter, January 6, 1987; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth830235/m1/3/?q=%22Education%2b-%2bColleges%2band%2bUniversities%2b-%2bTarleton%2bState%2bUniversity%22: accessed June 12, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas Medical Association.