Mary Walker: Surgeon, Suffragette, Medal of Honor

Mary Walker (1832-1919) is the only woman to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor still to this day. Doctor, women's rights advocate, abolitionist and spy, Walker became the first female U.S. Army surgeon during the Civil War.

Mary was born in Oswego, New York, daughter of abolitionists Alvah and Vesta Whitcomb Walker. Her parents encouraged her to think freely and allowed her to wear "bloomer" pants instead of the skirts and corsets women were required to wear at the time. She wore men's clothes her entire life because she said they were more comfortable and hygienic. Walker attended Syracuse Medical College and became the second woman to graduate from this college after Elizabeth Blackwell.

When the Civil War began in 1861, Walker volunteered to work as a field surgeon for the Union Army—the first female U.S. Army surgeon. She not only treated the wounded, but also crossed the front lines to treat civilians, which resulted in her being captured and imprisoned by the Confederates as a spy. Walker became the first woman officer ever exchanged as a prisoner of war. After the war, Walker was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Andrew Johnson.

She also advocated for women's rights. She ran for political office (and lost) and testified in front of the US House of Representatives in support of women's suffrage. In 1916, the Medal of Honor was taken away from Walker, saying she did not meet the eligibility requirements. However, she refused to return the award and wore it until her death in 1919. Decades later, President Jimmy Carter restored the Medal of Honor to Walker's name. In 1982 the US Post Office honored her with a stamp.

Find out more about Mary Edwards Walker.